The Weekend Deal
by Dreamspheres
Summary: AU/AH. Elena is happily engaged, but has trouble sleeping alone when her fiancé is working his night shifts at the hospital. Damon offers her his help and they agree on a deal that changes both of their lives forever.
1. Dinner for Five

This is the first story I've ever written - any comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!

Pairing: Damon/Elena/OC. Hope you like it!

Many thanks to my super lovely beta Kim who proof-read this chapter for me!

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**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 1: Dinner for Five

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"Elena, you have to calm down," Caroline whispered softly while gently stroking her best friend's hair in comfort.

Elena was lying in her arms, her body curled up in a fetal position. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to compose her mind. The strains of the last weeks were clearly noticeable and her swollen eyes gave her a tired expression.

"Calm down? How can I calm down?" she hiccuped between sobs. "I'm a complete failure. I hurt the two people I love the most. They'll never be able to forgive me."

She lifted her head and nuzzled into Caroline's neck. It felt good to be held by someone and she was eternally grateful to have such a caring and understanding friend. She didn't know what she would have done if she had been alone in this misery.

"Elena, look at me. That's not true. They might need some time, but it will turn out alright, you'll see." Caroline tried her best to comfort her friend.

She didn't say it just to calm her down, though. She truly believed that things would turn out alright, eventually. Not that she could not perfectly well understand the reasons for Elena's break-down; it was a complicated situation. But it hadn't been entirely Elena's fault and surely it wasn't unforgivable.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Care." Elena's sobbing had ceased, but her body was still shaking.

"I can't tell you what to do. You have to choose, you know that." Caroline took a deep breath. "But deep down, you've already made your choice, haven't you?"

Elena looked up at her. It always took her by surprise just how well her best friend knew her. She hadn't been conscious of it until now, but the choice had been made. She could only imagine a future with one of them. "I guess I have," she admitted after a while.

"Then you need to talk to them. It's only fair. Talk to your husband. Talk to Damon. You'll figure it out."

Elena nodded in silence. She knew that this was the right thing to do. She was so scared of their reactions, she didn't want the moment to come. Grabbing a tissue, she let out an exhausted sigh.

_What the hell had gotten her into this mess?_

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**Six months ago ...**

Elena was just about to finish the lasagna she was preparing when she heard the bell ring. She quickly ran into the bathroom, wanting to change out of her cooking apron into her small, black dress that she liked to wear on occasions like this.

"Jamie - can you open the door, please?"

Jamie had invited his new colleague from the hospital for dinner and as her fiancé seemed to think quite highly of him, she wanted to make a good impression. Dressing appropriately was point number seven on the 'How to make a good first impression' list she'd read in one of Caroline's women's magazines, after all.

"It's Caroline and Stefan!" Jamie shouted from the door.

They hadn't known whether Damon was bringing a date and the thought of the three of them having dinner was a bit too intimate for Elena's taste. That's why they had also invited her best friend Caroline and her fiancé Stefan. Having Caroline around also meant that the chance of having awkward, long pauses was practically zero, which was always a plus.

The bell rang another time.

Elena took a deep breath and made her way into the living room. They'd moved the large dining table on a little plateau in the open kitchen so that she could be part of the conversation while she was cooking. In the middle of the room stood a large cream-coloured couch in front of a huge plasma TV where Jamie and Elena spent most of their evenings cuddled up watching reruns of their favorite TV shows.

She hugged Caroline tightly and gave Stefan a peck on the cheek. Behind Stefan, she saw Jamie talking to a black-haired man who, at that moment, lifted his gaze to look at her intensely. He was dressed in black jeans and a black shirt that accented his perfectly shaped upper arms.

The moment she looked into his eyes she was lost in his gaze. He had the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen and she couldn't take her eyes off him. It was not just his eyes, he was handsome in a way that she could not explain. His face and his dashing physique were appealing, of course, but that was not the reason her heart had sped up. She had seen many handsome men in her life, but Damon was something else entirely. Without having spoken a word to this man, she felt his presence in the room, felt a connection between them.

"Hi," she mumbled inarticulately.

"Hi yourself."

_God, his voice was perfect. _

"You must be Damon," she said eventually, realizing she'd just broken rule number one on the 'good impression' list: do not stare. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Nicely deduced." He smirked at her and kissed her on her left cheek. "And you must be Elena. You look absolutely stunning."

She blushed, giving him a shy smile in return. Taking a look at her fiancé, she saw him lift his eyebrows and smile at her knowingly. Jamie had told her about Damon and his reputation and he obviously hadn't exaggerated.

They went over to the kitchen and Caroline, Stefan and Jamie sat down at the dining table. Elena cut the lasagne in pieces, putting them on white plates. It had taken years to learn how to make the perfect lasagna and she felt pretty proud of herself when she noticed how delicious it smelled. Damon had followed her over to the counter and helped her carry the plates to the table. Elena sat down next to Jamie while Damon took the seat on the opposite side of the table, next to Caroline.

After the first few bites, Caroline lifted her glass.

"Stefan and I have something to celebrate. So I want you all to raise your glasses to me and my wonderful fiancé."

Elena looked at her in surprise, noticing the sparkle in her friend's eyes. She hadn't mentioned anything on the phone earlier. Jamie looked at her with a smile, shrugging his shoulders. Stefan had obviously not told him either.

"We set a date. For the wedding," Stefan explained.

Caroline and Stefan had become engaged on New Year's Eve half a year ago, like Elena and Jamie had, too.

Elena jumped up from her chair and rushed to Caroline and Stefan, hugging and squeezing them tightly. "I am so happy for you," she squealed. "When?"

"October 1st. I would have gone for an earlier date, but Caroline said she needed the time to make her preparations." Stefan rolled his eyes and Jamie laughed heartily at his reaction. They'd all made the acquaintance with Caroline the perfectionist at some point.

"Of course she does." Elena winked at her. They had spend several nights discussing their dream weddings and Caroline - well, let's just say she had a very exact idea of her wedding.

"Have you talked about a date yet?" Caroline knew she was pushing them, but sometimes people needed a helping hand.

Elena looked at her disapprovingly. "We haven't. It's been a busy time, with moving into the new apartment and all."

"We are not in a hurry. I'm looking forward to the wedding, but being engaged is nice, too," Jamie helped her out. He took Elena's hand and caressed her engagement ring with affection.

Elena looked up and caught Damon staring at her ring. He seemed a bit lost, pouting his lips together in a thin line, and clearly did not feel comfortable with the topic.

"Damon, you must come too," Caroline smiled at him.

How typical of her to invite people she'd known for five minutes to the most important personal events.

"I don't know if weddings are the right place for me," Damon said finally.

Elena almost choked on one of the fresh tomato pieces. She coughed heavily, trying to get it out of her windpipe. What was wrong with him? What kind of person despised weddings?

"Sure they are. You can practise for Jamie's and Elena's wedding. And it's not like you have a choice; I'm not gonna take no as an answer. You can bring a date." Caroline was in her element and sure as hell wouldn't be stopped that easily.

Stefan glanced at Damon apologetically.

"I don't do dates. I don't like committed relationships. That's why I don't like weddings either."

"You'll survive. Trust me," Caroline added.

"Fine, I'll be there," Damon surrendered. He rolled his eyes, lifting his shoulders and letting out a loud sigh of exasperation.

Elena wanted to ask why he did not like relationships, but as the atmosphere was already tense she decided to change the topic instead and asked Caroline about her new job at the spa center.

"It's great, I love it," Caroline began and started describing her new work environment in more detail than anyone would ever be interested in, yet Elena listened attentively. It was her best friend, after all, and she was happy that Caroline was so enthusiastic about her new work.

Elena was just about to ask if her new colleagues were nice when she noticed something touch her foot. She looked at Jamie, but he seemed to be in deep discussion with Stefan, his feet nowhere near hers. Was her imagination playing tricks on her? Just as she was about to dismiss the thought, she felt a clear push, this time on her left feet. Her gaze fell to her feet, then over to Damon who struggeled to maintain a straight face.

She couldn't believe he was playing footsies with her. He was obviously not very interested in Caroline's ongoing rant about her job. Fair enough. But although playing footsies with strangers hadn't been mentioned in the article, it surely went without saying that this was not advisable.

She was about to say something to him when he touched her right foot, just a little longer this time. It was an inappropriate thing to do, but seeing Damon next to a rambling Caroline was such an unusual sight that she had to suppress a giggle. With a quick move, she touched his foot with hers and smiled at him innocently. He looked up, clearly surprised that she was participating in his game. His right corner of the mouth twitched as they indulged in their little fight under the table. After a while, they just couldn't keep a straight face anymore and burst out laughing at the same time.

"Are you two having fun?" Caroline interrupted. She was a bit upset at first, but seeing that her best friend was clearly enjoying herself she couldn't really be mad.

The conversation seemed to flow easily now and Elena felt herself relax. Damon and Jamie talked a bit about work and Elena was able to talk to Caroline about the wedding for a while.

Having finished the incredibly good chocolate cake dessert, Stefan stood up. "Care, I'm afraid we have to go. I have to get up early tomorrow."

Jamie followed him and took the car keys out of his back pocket. Elena knew Stefan's car was currently under repair, so they had asked Jamie if he could take them home.

"I should probably go, too." Damon stood up, walking over to the wardrobe to grab his leather jacket.

"You don't have to. I'll be back shortly. In the meantime, Elena can keep you company," Jamie offered.

Damon looked at Elena who nodded approvingly and he decided to join her at the kitchen counter. "I'd like to help you clean the dishes, if you don't mind."

"I'd like some help," she smiled at him before she hugged Stefan and Caroline goodbye.

She really wasn't sure what to think of Damon. From what Jamie had told her, he was a jerk when it came to women, and she could see parts of that. He was shamelessly flirtatious, used every chance he could get to touch her, but on the other hand she could see a really sweet side of him, too. He was trying to make her feel comfortable and she thought their little footsies game under the table was actually kind of cute. He also seemed to take every opportunity to offer her his help in the kitchen which did not match his appearance at all. She had to admit that she was quite fascinated by this rather unusual combination.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Jamie's lips on hers.

"I'll be right back, love," he said before he left the appartment.

Damon had already started washing the dishes and Elena picked up a towel, beginning to do the drying up.

"So, no relationships, huh?"

She couldn't understand how anyone would prefer one-night stands over a committed relationship and couldn't help but ask.

"I see that got your attention," he tried to deflect.

"Why? I mean, don't you believe in love?"

"I don't. It's painful and overrated."

She looked up at him, and for a short moment, he allowed her to see the hurt in his eyes. She knew it was out of place to ask something so personal, but she just had to know.

"So you've been in love. And it didn't end well?"

He look at her intensely, his dark, blue eyes boring into her with an expression she couldn't exactly place. It was obvious that it was a very emotional topic for him.

She suddenly realized how inappropriate her question had been.

"I'm sorry. That was out of place. I didn't mean to upset you."

She touched his arm in an innocent gesture that was supposed to calm the tension between them, but it turned out to have the opposite effect. She could not move, could not remove her hand from his arm when she touched him. It felt like electricity running through her fingertips. She could feel him breathing hard and was surprised to feel something in her belly she hadn't felt for a very long time. She draw her hand away and immediately felt guilt rising up inside her.

Damon's eyes were still locked on her, but the tension seemed to have left his face.

"Elena, I've never told anyone about this. To be quite honest, I've never felt the need to tell anyone, but I feel like I have to explain myself to you."

"You don't. It's fine."

"'Lena, I want to. I really do. Just not right now. Some other time, okay?" The way he pronounced her name sent tingles up her spine. "Let's just say I was wearing an engagement ring once myself and it didn't go the way I expected."

This time, she did not only see the hurt on his face, she could hear it in his voice as well. "Damon, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, his strange behaviour when Caroline had talked about her wedding made sense to her. She had known that there was more, that he wasn't the typical guy who just liked one-night stands for no particular reason.

Damon had never truly understood why people said they were sorry; it was not like it changed anything or made him feel better. On the contrary, he really didn't need anyone's pity, but with Elena it was different. She seemed to understand and he'd immediately known she'd meant it. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

He took her hand in his and squeezed it softly. They stood there for a moment, overwhelmed with the feeling of being physically and emotionally connected to the other, until Damon let finally go of her hand. They continued working in the kitchen in silence. After several minutes of comfortable silence, they both jumped, startled by a noise at the door. A few moments later, Jamie entered the room. He took a look at their faces and frowned.

"Wow, what's going on with you two? You look depressed. Damon, I counted on your ability to make women feel good, what happened?"

It was clearly meant as a joke, but Elena felt jealousy rise up in her. Women, as in plural. She got the feeling that there was definitely more to his reputation than Jamie had told her.

"We're good. Don't worry," she smiled at them and the atmosphere turned back to normal.

Sitting down at the couch, Jamie patted her knee calmingly. "Elena, I have bad news. The hospital called. They want me to work an extra night shift next Saturday." Jamie had to work three Saturday night shifts every month, so they had only one Saturday night for themselves, which had just got cancelled for this month. For a short moment, Elena looked like she was about to cry, pressing her lips together and narrowing her eyes.

Damon picked up her mood immediately.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding clearly worried.

Elena looked at Jamie who nodded reassuringly. If she wanted to tell him, it would be fine with him. He knew he could trust Damon. She normally didn't tell strangers about her problems, but it felt right to tell him.

"Since my parents died five years ago, I'm having trouble sleeping alone," she confessed after she'd taken a deep breath. "I have nightmares."

Damon was shocked by her honesty. "I'm sorry about your parents," he said eventually.

Just like Damon had known a few minutes ago, Elena knew immediately that he meant it. She gave him a genuine smile.

"It's fine. I've learned to live with it. I have a new life now." She looked gratefully at her fiancé. "Jamie's been helping me a lot."

Damon only nodded.

"But unfortunately, he has to work on Saturday nights and I try to sleep over at Caroline's most of the time, but as she's planning her wedding at the moment, I can't keep distracting her all the time."

"I see."

Damon was surprised at the extent to which her panic confused him. He had only just met her tonight, after all, but she had looked so frightened when Jamie had told her about the extra night shift that all he wanted to do was make her feel safe.

"You know what, I'll offer you a deal. There are no night shifts in my department, and I don't have any obligations on Saturday nights anyway. If you want to, we could spend these evenings together, going out, staying in, whatever you'd like. I could stay the night and sleep on the couch if it helps."

Elena felt like her heart was about to explode. She wasn't used to such helpfulness and it overwhelmed her. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I didn't offer it to make you cry," Damon said, trying to lighten the mood. "And I have to get your fiancé's consent first, of course."

Elena's face began to brighten up and she gave Jamie a questioning look.

"Anything that makes you feel better, love. I don't mind at all. I think it's a great idea. Thank you for the offer, Damon," Jamie replied.

She instantly knew that it was dangerous considering the way Damon made her feel, that it was probably not the best idea to accept, but she felt so terrified when she thought of these nights. She reached out and placed her delicate hand on Damon's knee. "It would mean everything to me."

"Then we have a deal." He stroked her hand with his thumb and smiled at her.

Later, when she was lying in bed, Elena began to feel nervous. She had always felt nervous when thinking about the nights Jamie spent at work, but she had to admit that her reasons might have changed tremendously. For the first time in a long while, she was looking forward to a Saturday night.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! :)

I'm not a native speaker, so there might be a few mistakes and strange sentences in the chapters that haven't been betaed. Sorry about that! Feel free to tell me if you find any!


	2. First Sleepover

Again, many thanks go to Kim (kimbuhlay) for being such a wonderful beta and to Sam (slr-1) for pre-reading this chapter for me.

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**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 2: First Sleepover

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"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Jamie asked for what felt like the hundredth time. "You can call me anytime you want to, you know that, right?"

"I do. And I will, if I panic. But Damon will be here, it's going to be fine."

She let out a loud sigh. It was nice of him to worry about her and she appreciated it, but he knew that she didn't get nightmares when someone was with her, so there really was no need to worry.

"When will he be coming over?"

She tried to find out if there was anything different in his voice, but he really seemed to be okay with Damon's suggestion.

"9 o'clock -" She consulted a watch. " - which is in 30 minutes. Look, I have to take a shower, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love you, Elena."

She'd expected a peck on the cheek in return, but instead he pressed her into the wall behind her, kissing her passionately, his tongue tracing her bottom lip.

"What was that for?" Elena asked in surprise as she broke their hot and heavy kiss.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my beloved fiancée?" He tapped her nose affectionately. "I'm just happy we found a solution and that you're gonna be fine, that's all that matters to me."

"I'm glad, too. But I really have to take that shower now."

"We'll catch up on it later, okay?"

"Sure," she smiled as he walked over to the door. "Jamie -" He turned around to look at her. "I love you, too."

His face lit up and with a little wave, he was out of the door.

Elena took a deep breath. A week had gone by since her first encounter with Damon and she had convinced herself that she had only imagined the intimacy of these moments they had shared. She was an adult woman, and engaged, and she surely wasn't put off her stride that easily. It would be nice to have Damon around on most of her Saturday nights. They definitely had a connection; maybe they could even become friends?

She went into the shower and let the hot water calm her down. When she was finished, she put on her favourite pair of jeans and a t-shirt and walked into the living room. She heard the bell ring and opened the door.

"Hello gorgeous," Damon said, smiling his typical one-sided smile.

"Damon, thank you for coming."

She gave him a quick hug and couldn't help but notice his exquisite scent. Damn, he smelled good. The scent of a fresh shower filled her senses and mingled with the smell of his leather jacket like a promise - sensual, but dangerous.

"Come on in," she managed to get out.

Her gaze fell to the huge bag that hung over Damon's left shoulder. "How long are you planning to stay? A week?" she teased.

"You wish."

He kissed her cheek and entered the apartment.

"I brought some things. Bottle of wine, dessert, some movies ... my PJ's ... this is a sleepover, after all," he winked at her and a big smile grew on Elena's face.

This was exactly what she had in mind when she thought about having a sleepover.

"It's been a while since I've done that and I figured we should do it right," he added, letting the bag slide to the floor with a loud bang.

"Sounds great." She could hear the enthusiasm in her voice. "I really appreciate this, you know. You could be out having the time of your life, instead you're here, with me."

The trace of sadness on her face didn't escape him.

"Elena, I've told you this before. I want to be here," he smiled at her. "And you're not the worst company in the world."

She couldn't help but blush. His flirtatious comments should have made her uncomfortable, but somehow they didn't. He was probably used to saying things like that on a daily basis, but somehow she believed him anyway. He really seemed to be happy to spend his Saturday evening in her company.

"So, what's the plan for tonight? Want to cook something?" he asked.

"Yeah. I figured we could have some pasta."

"I'd love that." His genuine smile took away some of the tension she was feeling.

They went over to the kitchen counter and Elena started to cook while Damon watched her from the other side of the counter of the kitchen. She did not need to look at him to notice that he was grinning.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "You look so tense and focused."

"You do want something edible, right? So I have to stay focused. And it doesn't help that you're distracting me."

He bit his bottom lip, slightly amused about the fact that she didn't even want to hide the effect his presence had over her body. He came over until he was standing right behind her, her back pressing against his chest, and leaned over her shoulder to get a taste of the tomato sauce.

"Am I?" Ever so slightly, his mouth brushed her cheek, his breath fanning against her ear.

Elena felt shivers rising up. So much for her solid theory that she had only imagined it.

"This tastes pretty good by the way," he interrupted her thoughts. "You could add some more basil." He went over to grab some of the fresh basil, chopped it, put it into the sauce and hold out a spoon for her.

She cocked her head in amusement. So Mystic Falls most infamous bachelor knew how to cook? Right. Somehow, she didn't think so. She tasted the sauce, closing her eyes. Not only did it taste good, it was delicious.

"You're good at this," she admitted.

"I'm not just good. I'm the best," he smirked, dropping his hands from her shoulder.

"Cocky much?"

"Very much."

She pinched him in the side and they started to laugh. She wasn't usually someone to feel comfortable in a stranger's presence, yet somehow he didn't feel like a stranger at all.

Elena took two plates out of the cupboard and put the pasta onto the plates. They sat down at the table and Damon opened the bottle of wine, pouring them both a glass. On the table stood a burning candle which illuminated the room in a beautiful, soft light. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed by the intimacy of the moment. Here they sat, having dinner on a Saturday evening, drinking wine and laughing together. It was such a couple's thing to do and yet it felt completely natural with Damon.

"Cheers, to us," Damon said and she shivered under the intensity of his gaze.

"To our sleepovers," she smiled and they clinked glasses.

After they had finished their dinner they sat down on the couch, ready to start the comfy part of the evening.

"You know, these jeans look quite uncomfortable. We should change into our PJ's before the movie." His eyebrows were lifted, challenging her.

She knew that he was teasing her, but the wine was clearly having its effect, so she decided to just play along and have some fun. And he was right; the jeans really weren't the most comfortable thing she could've imagined for a quiet evening in front of the television.

"You really do want the whole sleepover experience, don't you?"

She giggled as she went into the bedroom to change into her shorts and a sleep shirt. She most certainly wouldn't change in front of him, although she was sure that this was what he'd secretly hoped for.

When she came back from her bedroom, she saw Damon standing at the front door. He had put on a pair of comfortable looking black sleep pants and was fumbling in his bag for his shirt. His back was to her; he couldn't see that she was looking at him. She could not tear her eyes away from this sight in front of her. His back was stunning, with clearly defined muscles. All she wanted to do in this moment was stroke his back and feel his soft skin underneath her hands.

"Enjoying the view?"

_Damn, the mirror. _She had totally forgotten about the mirror. She saw him grinning big time.

"Don't feel bad, you look quite stunning yourself."

He slowly put on a loose, blue shirt, covering his pecs and abs under the fabric. His gaze lingered on her perfect long legs. He had seen her legs at the dinner last week. Hell, he had even felt them when she had touched his legs under the table and he got hard just thinking about it again. But he hadn't really had a chance to look at them and take them in last week, with her fiancé around and all that. God, he hated that word.

Now she was standing there so beautiful in her cute pyjamas ... if she wasn't his colleague's fiancé, he would have already pulled her onto the couch and kissed her senseless. But she was, so he clearly needed to stop this train of thoughts before it became painful, literally and figuratively.

"I nearly forgot about dessert. You want some?" he asked.

She nodded enthusiastically and the erotic tension between them slowly faded. He walked over to the fridge and came back with two bowls. He looked so domestic in his PJ's Elena began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" He handed her the bowl, pouting his lips together.

"It's just you, barefoot in my kitchen, handing me food, chopping basil. You're like the perfect housewife."

"I'm glad I amuse you. Shouldn't it be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, though?" He smirked, tapping her nose.

"You're unbelievable." She threw a pillow at him, trying to hide her own embarrassement.

"Now you just asked for it." He leaned over, took her bowl out of her hands and began to hit her softly with one of the pillows.

"Damon, stop it," Elena laughed.

Damon put the pillow away and she looked at him suspiciously. It wasn't like him to give up that easily; she knew that much. Just when she was about to pick up her bowl, he moved over and began to tickle her.

"Damon!" His fingers continued tickling her belly and she laughed so hard she had trouble breathing. "Damon, stop!"

She took the pillow beneath her and hit him hard on the chest. He held on to her and she suddenly lost balance, collapsing on top of him. She quickly became aware that she was pressed up tightly against him and her heart missed a beat when she realized that his hip was placed against hers, pressing into her. She looked up at him and, for a moment, he looked rather serious and confused.

Within a second he recovered from the situation and smirked at her. "Guess that means I won?"

She broke away from his embrace and arched her eyebrow at him, shaking her head in amusement.

"God, I love a good pillow fight. This is really turning into one of the best sleepovers ever," he grinned at her and they took their bowls from the table in front of them to resume their dessert.

"Tastes fantastic, by the way," Elena said after she'd had her first taste of his dessert. She smiled at the thought of his impressive domestic skills.

"Would you like to pick a movie?" Damon asked before she could make another comment about Damon the housewife. It wasn't his fault that his ex-fiancée had never liked to cook.

"It's your choice tonight. I'll choose next week," he added.

The fact that he so was so sure that he'd come back next week made her incredibly happy. So far she had enjoyed the evening immensely and she would've been sad if it turned out to be a one-time thing. It was not just that she was afraid to be alone; she was really enjoying his company. Since her parents had died she hadn't been able to enjoy herself that easily anymore. With Damon it just felt so natural.

"I brought some movies, but we can watch one of your DVDs as well." He got up to grab his bag from the wardrobe.

"What did you bring?"

"All sorts of things, I wasn't sure what kind of movies you're into. So I just brought my whole collection."

Well, that would explain the huge bag. He put it onto the little table in front of them and Elena leaned over, looking at the DVDs inside.

"Seriously, you have Kung Fu Panda?" she said with a huge grin on her face, unable to hold back her laughter from breaking out.

For a moment, Damon looked a bit hurt. He'd been building up his movie collection for many years and was quite proud of his excellent taste. "I brought it for you. But - and if you tell anyone I'll have to kill you - I quite like that one."

"Well, I haven't seen it. Do you want to watch it again?"

Damon got up, put the DVD into the player and sat back down on his side of the couch. She had to admit the movie was cute, though not as cute as the visual image of Damon in his pyjama pants watching it. They found themselves laughing a lot and it really was the perfect, light hearted start for their sleepovers. During the closing credits, Elena felt herself yawn.

"Tired already? Come on, we have to watch a second one." Damon got up and checked out Jamie's and Elena's video collection. "What about something scary? What about this one?" He showed Elena the cover of what definitely looked like a horror movie.

"That's one of Jamie's, I haven't seen it yet. But scary is good to keep me awake, I guess," she smiled at him apologetically.

"Alright then." Damon sat back on the couch, a little closer than they sat before, and they started watching it.

Elena tried her best not to wince too often, but as the movie was scary as hell, she failed miserably. Maybe she should've mentioned that she wasn't too fond of horror movies.

"Come here, scaredy cat."

Damon moved over and put his arm around her. She leaned into his touch, putting her head on his chest. She knew that she shouldn't be getting this close to him, but in this moment she just didn't care; it felt too good and the contact made her feel safe. The only problem now was that - with Damon being so close to her - she couldn't focus on the movie anymore. She could feel his fingers tracing her upper arm, she could smell his heavenly scent, and all she wanted to do was put her arms around him and cuddle into him. She closed her eyes and focused on how good his arm felt on her shoulder ...

"Elena?" He had been so caught up in the movie that only now he realized that she hadn't winced in a while. "Elena? Did you fall asleep?"

The movie was over and his heart was beating like mad over the final scene while Elena was lying peacefully in his arms.

"Mhh?" She looked at him. "I fell asleep, I'm sorry," she mumbled sleepily.

"Come on sleepyhead, let's get you into bed." He was about to lift her up when she objected inarticulately.

"I don't want to move. Let's just stay here." She closed her eyes again.

He knew this was wrong, that he should just carry her over to the bed, but he couldn't resist. He was used to having girls cuddled up in his lap, yet it felt so different with Elena. His arms were wrapped around her protectively. He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked when she was asleep.

He slowly moved so that he was lying on his side, Elena pressed up against him. He took the blanket and covered them both. She didn't seem to mind. Just when he thought that she had fallen asleep, she moved a little.

"Damon? Thanks again, for everything. It really means a lot." She was suddenly awake and looked at him, her eyes wide open.

"You're welcome."

Very slowly so that she could turn away if she wanted to, he kissed her on the forehead. She felt his soft lips on her skin and she held her breath. They looked at each other in wonder for a few moments before they fell back into silence.

"I can't believe you missed that final scene. It was soo good I'm still shaking inside," Damon said after a while.

"Who is the scaredy cat now?" She laughed, reached out for his hand and squeezed it softly. "Don't worry. You're safe with me," she giggled at the irony of her statement. Moving over, she lay her head on his chest.

"Good night, Damon."

"Good night, Elena."

After a few minutes of silence, they fell asleep in a tight embrace.


	3. Confessions

Many thanks to Kim for looking over this chapter!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 3: Confessions

* * *

A few weeks later, Elena opened the door of her apartment and Damon entered her living room, slipping out of his leather jacket. His blue shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin reminded her of the color of his eyes.

"Wow, you look tired," he said, offering her a sympathetic look.

Elena had dark circles around her eyes and was pressing her hand against her back attempting to drive away the pain that was haunting her rear. Despite the pain she was feeling, she smiled genuinely when Damon came over to hug her tightly, kissing her on the cheek.

"You're still beautiful, though," he grinned.

Elena rolled her eyes at him, giving him a slight smirk. It was four weeks after their first sleepover and Damon had come over every Saturday since then.

She tried to stifle a yawn. She had spent her afternoon with Caroline, running through the city in a desperate attempt to find the perfect shoes to match her wedding dress. After six hours they had finally succeeded, thank God, but her feet and her back hurt anyway.

"I'm exhausted," she confessed. "After I called you, we went to ten more stores, can you believe it?"

"Why are you friends with that horrible woman again?" Damon shook his head.

Elena knew he wasn't serious. He secretly liked Caroline, although he would never admit that, but she could be terrifying, she had to give him that.

"I'm not sure I'll make it through a movie tonight, I'm sorry." Elena yawned again, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Don't be. Then we'll just go to bed earlier and talk until you fall sleep. Sounds like a plan?"

He walked over until he was standing right behind her, pulled away the fabric of her shirt and began to massage her shoulders.

"God, that feels good." Elena closed her eyes, letting out a soft moan.

The sounds she was making went straight to his groin. Elena let herself fall back against his chest and he hugged her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist. They had gotten so close during the last weeks that it felt like a completely normal thing to do. They both knew it wasn't normal, and that it shouldn't be, but they connected so well on that level that neither of them wanted to change a thing about it.

"Do you want me to give you a massage?" Damon asked, whispering into her ear.

"I would love that. I have some oil in the bedroom."

"Let me just quickly change into my sleep shorts."

Elena went into the bedroom, took the oil out of the drawer next to the bed and got rid of her shirt.

A few moments later, Damon appeared in the doorframe and sat down on Jamie's side of the bed. She could practically feel Damon staring at her. When she turned around, it was perfectly obvious that he was checking out her breasts in that black lacy bra of hers.

He coughed, quickly averting his gaze. He wouldn't be able to just give her a massage if he continued his thoughts.

Elena lay down on the bed and Damon undid the clasps of her bra with shaking hands. He put some oil on his fingers, rubbing them together to make it pleasantly warm. He began to stroke her shoulders, spreading the warm oil on Elena's back.

If someone had told him four weeks ago that he would shortly spend his Saturday nights in his colleague's bed, spreading oil over his colleague's fiancée, he would never have believed it. And here he was, doing exactly that.

He shook off the thought and continued to caress her back with skillful strokes. He knew how to give a good massage and according to the sounds Elena was making, she thought so, too. Elena's skin felt soft and velvety, shivering slightly under his hands. After thirty minutes, Elena felt totally relaxed again and rolled over to the other side of the bed.

"Thank you Damon, that was incredible. What other amazing talents are you keeping secret?" She smiled at him sleepily.

She sat up and covered her breasts with her right arm while trying to reach for her shirt with her left one. Damon handed her the shirt and she quickly pulled it over her head.

Before she could put it on, he caught a glimpse at her perfect round breasts, his eyes widening at the sight. Elena noticed him staring at her nipples that were now clearly defined through her shirt.

"Damon?" Elena asked, amused by how affected he seemed.

"Er, sorry," he mumbled inarticulately. "I better turn off the lights now."

He stretched his arms to the other side of the bed to switch them off. They lay down on their backs and didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Can I ask you something?" Damon broke the silence and shifted so that he was lying on his side to be able to look at her.

"Anything."

"When we watched the scary movie the other day, it didn't trigger the nightmares."

Elena nodded. "No. I don't have typical nightmares with ghosts or zombies chasing me." She chuckled. "Or at least not more often than other people."

"Then what are your dreams about?"

Elena took a deep breath. It was still hard to talk about it, but she had wanted to tell Damon anyway.

"It's connected to my parents' death. It was an accident; their car went off a bridge and they drowned." She paused for a moment, but Damon didn't want to interrupt her. "I was really close to them, so losing both of them on the same day - it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced and it changed my life dramatically. Jamie and I had only just begun to date and I wouldn't have made it without him. But he couldn't be here all the time and when I was alone, I couldn't manage to sleep. I kept thinking about the accident and when I _did_ fall asleep, I dreamt that I was there with them in the car. I haven't got rid of that nightmare, it still keeps haunting me. I'm there in the car with them, seeing them drown, and I can't breathe, and there's so much water, and ... "

She began to sob quietly and Damon reached out for her, pulling her against him comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Elena."

"It's fine."

She wept into his shirt, leaving dark stains of tears on his blue shirt. "I wanted to tell you anyway, and I feel better now that you know. I'm just a bit emotional, but it's fine."

Damon held her close, gently stroking her back.

After a while, she snuffled and reached for a tissue. "It is getting better, you know. The dreams aren't as frequent as they used to be. I hope one day the nightmares will disappear." She smiled at him through her tears.

"I'm sure they will. And until then, I'm going to keep you safe." Realizing that he was lying in someone else's bed, he quickly corrected himself. "Jamie and I will keep you safe."

She nodded, nuzzling into him.

"Damon?"

He looked up at her, his eyes wide open in suspense.

"I know that you don't want to talk about it, but would you tell me about your engagement?" she asked. She had wanted to know since their first sleepover, but she'd waited for the right moment.

Knowing that he wasn't able to refuse, he let out a sigh in retreat.

"Her name was Katherine. She was the only woman I've ever loved ... or thought I loved, anyway." He paused for a few seconds. "Back then, I was in love with the idea of loving someone forever, of having a wife and children. So I asked her to marry me and she said yes, and I was the happiest person on the planet ... until one day, I found her in bed with another man."

He heard Elena gasp out loud.

"So, there I was, brought back down to earth with a bump, and it changed me. I couldn't trust any woman anymore and eventually, I lost my belief in love. I don't think I'll ever be able to love again. And quite frankly, even if I could, I don't think I'd want to," he whispered.

He was suddenly wearing a shaken and incredibly sad expression, the melancholy clearly visible on his face.

"I don't think that's true. I know you're still capable of love, I've seen it in your eyes ..." She cupped his cheek with her hand.

"I don't know." He shook his head. " I've tried to fill the emptiness, I've tried with so many women. It's not working. I don't love them, I use them."

"You're not using me."

"With you it's different." He offered her a genuine smile. "I don't feel empty with you," he confessed.

"I'm glad."

She moved over and put her head in the crook of his neck. After a while, she rolled over to her side and they fell back into silence.

"I can't sleep with this depressive atmosphere in the room," Damon said after a few moments. "How about we play a little game?"

He turned around so that he was facing her back and put his arms around her waist, spooning her.

"Er- I don't think so. Besides, I think we've left out some steps for that, don't you think?" she teased him.

"I didn't mean _that,_" he chuckled. "But that would work just as well, I guess," he grinned, cocking his head to the side.

"In your dreams." She shook her head in amusement, pinching him in the chest. "You are such a cocky bastard."

"And you love it." He placed a soft kiss on her neck, letting his lips linger there for a moment before he spoke again.

"So, here it is: you can either tell me what you love about me or you tell me something that I didn't already know about you. You'll start."

Elena chuckled. That sounded like a game he would suggest.

"I'll tell you something about me. I'd be afraid your ego might explode if I chose the other option," she giggled.

"Figured you would say that," he said, rolling his eyes.

Elena decided to ignore his comment. "I was a lot looser before the accident, before I met Jamie. I knew how to let go, how to have fun, how to dance -"

"I know."

She looked at him over her shoulder in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes, I can see that in you - it's there, at times. And I believe you're still able to enjoy yourself. You have to show me some time."

Elena had not gone out since the accident, she had always been too scared of how it would make her feel. But with Damon, she was confident that she could make it.

She turned around in his embrace, facing him. "I will."

"So, I'll tell you what I love about me. I love my good looks, my style, my charm ... " Damon continued and Elena hit him on the head, chuckling.

"Sorry, got confused there for a second." He arched his eyebrow at her, slightly amused. "What I love about _you_, of course. I love the way you look at me in that exact moment. When you think I'm acting cocky and unbelievable again. You're pouting, but you've got that cute twitch of your lips, almost like a slight smirk, and your eyes light up in mock offense. I love that, it's incredibly cute."

He was looking her directly in the eyes and it felt so intimate that she suddenly felt a rush of guilt rising up.

"It's your turn again," Damon said, oblivious to her reaction.

She began to think about what she could tell him that he didn't already know. They had talked about almost everything in the past weeks, she couldn't really come up with anything.

"My birthday is June 2nd," she whispered after a while. "You didn't know that, did you?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "You're seriously choosing option two again." He shook his head. "You really do care about my ego, don't you? And - totally lame fact, by the way. Jamie told me your birthday months ago. You'll have to do better than that," he added.

"What else could I tell you about me?" She giggled as she saw Damon rolling his eyes again. "My feet are size 6, I like Italian food, ..." she kept ranting.

"You're no fun at this game." Damon playfully tousled her hair. "Let's try to find some sleep."

He rolled over and lay on his back, their hands still intertwined.

She waited a few minutes until his breathing had slowed down and she was pretty sure that he was asleep. She closed the distance between them and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"I love that you bring out so many emotions in me just by holding me in your arms," she whispered.

"I love your ability to make me feel better and that you always make me smile. I love that you're selfless and don't even know it. I love your one-sided smile, and your arching eyebrows, and your sexy back." She smiled. "Above all, I love that you're here, with me."

She thought she felt a slight squeeze at her hand, but she wasn't sure.


	4. Dancing Lessons

Thanks to slr-1 for pre-reading!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 4: Dancing Lessons

* * *

"Elena?" Jamie shouted from the living room. "Caroline's asking if you'll come too tonight. She could use some help to plan the wedding."

Jamie was on the phone, talking to Stefan. He held the phone away from him for a moment when Elena entered the room.

"Stefan and I are going to have a beer at the bar around the corner, so you'd have the whole apartment for yourselves."

"Can you tell her I'll call her back? I just don't know yet," she said and went back into the bedroom.

After a while, Jamie appeared behind her. "Caroline is driving Stefan mad with her wedding details. So I'm going to rescue him," he chuckled.

"Do you have plans for tonight?" he asked, remembering what she had said a little earlier.

"Yeah, maybe. I have to call Damon; he wanted to come over tonight, but he's not sure he can make it," she explained.

"Really? It's Wednesday," Jamie stated with a questioning look, arching his eyebrows.

He knew that Damon and Elena had bonded over their sleepover sessions over the last two months and that they got along perfectly. He had also found out just recently that they used to talk over the phone quite extensively during the week, but it was new that they made plans to meet other than on Saturdays.

Not that he was jealous, he trusted Elena. But he had noticed that her friendship with Damon had changed her, she was slowly turning back into the fun and playful Elena she had been when they had first met. The fact that Damon had accomplished what he hadn't made him sad, but on the other hand, he was glad that she seemed to be able to enjoy herself again.

"I know. I just figured that since you're going out with Stefan, I could do something, too," Elena replied quietly.

She didn't want to lie or make something up, they were better than that. They had a relationship based on trust and she told Jamie everything. She had even told him that Damon and her had slept together on the couch several times. He had not been delighted, but they never had real fights. It just wasn't like them. In the end, Jamie always assured her that he'd accept anything that would make her feel better. She knew it was egoistic, but her life had changed so much for the better since Damon had come into her life, she didn't want to change a single thing about it.

"Sure."

Jamie smiled at her, took her hand in his and kissed it softly.

"Would you sit down for a minute?" He looked tense, but kept smiling at her. "There is something I wanted to ask you for some time now."

He sat down on the bed and gestured to the place beside him. "Remember our conversation about starting a family?" He let his fingers glide over her palm before he entwined them with hers.

They had talked about it several times, even before the engagement. They were both sure they wanted to have children. After the engagement, Jamie had asked her if she was ready, but Elena had told him she needed some time to think about it.

"I know, we've talked about it, but I wanted to ask if you've already come to any conclusions?" He paused for a second, but as Elena didn't say anything, he continued.

"I love you so much and I would love to have children with you, you know that. I know you're gonna be the best mother on this planet, and I'll try my best to be a good father. I know we wanted to wait until after the wedding, but I don't think we have to. It's not something you can plan anyway, and sometimes it can take some time, and ..." He cupped her cheek. "How would you feel if you stopped taking the pill?"

Elena wasn't surprised at his suggestion. She had been thinking a lot about it for the last few months, and the longer she thought about it, the more comfortable she became with the idea. She could really picture them as a family. She could picture him as a father so well, too. He would be wonderful to their child, she knew, just as wonderful and caring as he was with her. She just wasn't sure if she could already picture herself as a mother. She hadn't really lived her life to the fullest over the last years.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted. "I'm not sure I can do this. So many things will have to change."

"I understand that." He stroked her cheek. "But we'll be in this together. I'll help you. We'll figure it out."

Jamie kissed her softly on the lips, giving her a look filled with so much love that, in that moment, the thought of them as a family gave her a feeling of inner peace.

"Yes, okay."

His eyes lit up and he suddenly looked incredibly happy. He kissed her passionately and they fell back to the bed.

"Just give me this month to finish my current packet of pills, alright?" she said eventually.

"Of course." He smiled at her, placing a kiss on her engagement ring.

"Want to take a shower together? We haven't done that very often lately."

She smirked and he began to undress her, letting the strap of her dress slowly slip down her shoulders.

* * *

When they had finished their extensive shower, Jamie was about to leave the apartment when Elena came into the living room.

"Jamie, wait. Would you mind if I slept at Damon's today?"

She had never been in Damon's apartment before.

"There's been a change of plans, we're going out tonight. There's a small club close to Damon's, and he asked me if I would like to sleep at his apartment for a change."

She looked at Jamie anxiously, waiting for his reaction.

"That's alright," he said finally. "Can you text me if you've made it to his apartment after the club? I'm not used to not knowing where you are and if you're fine." He looked tense, his shoulders hunched.

"I will. Thank you Jamie."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

He placed a soft kiss on her temple and quickly left the apartment.

Elena couldn't get rid of the feeling that this hadn't gone well. She could perfectly well understand that he wasn't excited about it, but it wasn't any different from the other sleepovers.

Except that it was Wednesday and that her fiancé was at home at night.

She shook off the thought and packed her bag. She was really looking forward to the evening and she was extremely curious about Damon's apartment. She felt herself smile when she thought about their reversed roles. This was how he felt when he was sleeping over, she thought, when she put her PJ's into the bag.

Damon had persuaded her into going out tonight. At first, she didn't want to, but Damon had told her that after five years of grief he thought it was time to make the next step. And he was right. That's what she admired so much about Damon. His reactions were always honest, and he always told her what he really thought.

With Jamie it was different. He treated her with kid gloves, not that she could blame him. She had needed it after the accident, and their relationship would not have made it so far if he had treated her differently, but it was five years ago, and things had changed, but he still treated her the same.

After a twenty minutes drive and a ride in the elevator to the 8th floor, she stood in front of Damon's apartment. She rang the bell and giggled as she thought about their reversed roles again.

"Elena." He kissed her on the cheek, hugging her tightly. "I'm so happy you could make it. Come on in."

She entered the apartment and was blown away by the sight in front of her. She gaped through the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the other side of the room and sat down on one of the black leather couchs in front of it. It was already dark outside, the lights of the city giving the room a soft glow.

Damon was standing behind the couch, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"It's so beautiful," she said.

"I agree. It's one of my favorite places. Ranks second right after your couch," he laughed.

They kept their positions for a moment, taking in the sight in front of them, before Damon took Elena's hand and walked her to the bedroom. His bedroom was kept simple, a huge bed standing in the middle of the room, with blue silk sheets and a little dresser next to the bed.

"Let me take your bag," Damon offered and went over to the chest of drawers. "I emptied one of the drawers for you, figured you could put some of your stuff in there."

"Thank you, Damon."

She looked at him and was once again overwhelmed by him. He could be so considerate.

"I have to change clothes, I'll be right back," he said, disappearing into the bathroom.

A few minutes later he came back, wearing a black shirt, black leather pants, in which he looked incredibly sexy, and his typical biker boots.

"I am so proud that you've agreed to his, by the way. I know it's not easy for you."

He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

Elena felt incredibly good when she entered the club, linking arms with Damon.

"You do realize everyone is staring at you," she whispered in his ear.

"I don't think they're looking at me."

His mouth touched her ear and he immediately felt goosebumps rising up on his skin. His gaze wandered over her body and he had to bite his bottom lip to prevent a moan from escaping.

She was wearing a little blue dress that perfectly accented her curves. He didn't feel like having drinks and dancing. He wanted to take her back to his apartment, unzip her dress with his mouth, explore her body with his tongue and make her shiver under his touch.

He let out a quiet curse.

_Pull yourself together, for heaven's sake._

"What is it?" Elena asked.

Damn it, she had heard him.

"Nothing, darling. Let's get over there and have some drinks, okay?"

He took her hand in his and smiled at her.

The woman next to her gave Elena a disapproving look, but Elena smiled at her confidently. Damon was hers, if only for tonight. She let go of his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Are you getting possessive?" Damon smirked, cocking his head to the side.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have eyes for someone else even if you were wearing your teddy pyjama." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

She laughed and pushed against his chest. "Don't be unfair, I only wore it once."

They sat down at the little table in the corner and waited for the waitress to come over.

"Welcome to our club." She looked at Damon and lost her train of thought for a moment. "It's couples' night today, so for every kiss you'll get two drinks for one," she explained. "What would you like to order?"

_Well shit.  
_  
He hadn't known about that, else he wouldn't have brought her here. She had to think it was one of his typical plans to get closer to her. He usually loved to touch and flirt with her, but to be honest, the attraction between them was getting a little out of control lately. He wasn't good at controlling his feelings; with Elena they just took over and he couldn't help himself.

The waitress coughed.

"Er - sorry," he got out and looked at Elena. She didn't seem to be mad, he realized in relief.

He leaned over, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Two gin and tonics, please."

"Well, that doesn't count. Surely you can do better than that." The waitress winked at him.

Damon looked so uncomfortable, Elena had to laugh. It was such a rare sight. He clearly hadn't known about this either.

He gave the waitress an angry look. "You know, forget about this couples' thing, just get us two drinks and -"

Elena cut him off, pressing her lips softly against his. After a beat, she leaned back and looked at him, her eyes wide open.

What the hell just happened? Her lips had felt so soft, and she tasted like nothing he had tasted before. He breathed hard, trying to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry. My boyfriend is a little shy in public." Elena looked at the waitress, shrugging her shoulders and smiling innocently.

"I see. I'll get your drinks." With that she left, clearly amused at Damon's shocked expression.

"What?" Elena laughed again.

Damon's jaw was still on the floor. He shook his head, slowly recovering from the situation. He wanted to take her over to the wall and kiss her until she couldn't tell up from down. Until she begged him to stop. They'd be amazed how _shy_ her _boyfriend _was in public.

"You really are a wolf in sheep's clothing, aren't you?"

_He was back to normal, thank God._

"Are you complaining?"

"I would never."

"Well good then. I told you I was a lot looser before ... you know. Let's just enjoy ourselves tonight."

The waitress brought their drinks and they started to sip at them.

"Alright - you caught me off-guard there for a second, but I'm prepared now. So beware," he grinned and dismissed all his thoughts about doing the right thing. She just wanted to enjoy herself and he would help her with that.

"And I'm immensely looking forward to ordering our next drinks, by the way," he said, gulping down his drink in one sip.

Elena chuckled. "I think the dance floor is over there, would you like to go over?" she asked.

Damon nodded, got up and took her hand, leading her into the other room.

There was a huge dance floor and a few red leather couchs at the opposite wall. The dance floor was already crowded and they began to dance. Elena needed a few minutes to get into it again, remembering how she used to shake her hips to the ryhthm. She had forgotten how much she liked to dance, and she felt more comfortable with every minute. She had to admit that Damon was an incredible dancer. His legs didn't move very much, but he made these slight movements with his hip that looked so erotic it did weird things to her belly.

After a while, the dance floor got more crowded, and they had to dance closer to each other. She took a look at the other couples in the room who were dancing closely and she felt the sudden urge to do the same. Reaching out, she put her left hand in his and began to move her hips to the beats of the music. Damon put his hands on her side, and they danced in an intimate embrace. He felt like she was deliberately moving her hip against his, and he couldn't help but have the natural reaction.

_Well, two could play that game._

He spun her around until her back was to him. His arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to his body until she was pressed along the length of him. He began to sway in time to the beat, hips and shoulders rubbing against her. Elena followed the line of his body, gradually losing more of her reserve. Damon leaned forward and nuzzled into her neck, deeply inhaling her sweet scent. She raised her arms and let her head fall back, surrendering to the sensation while Damon held her, softly guiding her with his hands on her waist. Slowly, his hands slid down to her buttocks, and he pulled her closer. Her hip came into contact with the bulge in his pants and she was tempted to bump her swiveling hips against his clearly noticeable erection. His head fell back as she did, and he let out a soft moan.

Elena felt like a younger version of herself had taken over her body, this was so not like her. She didn't know what she was doing, only that she didn't want to stop. She slowy turned around to face him, rubbing her breasts against him. Damon's eyes widened at the sensation and his arm tightened around her, yanking her to him. With every move of her hip, she could feel his hardness. Her breath shallowed and she felt butterflies stirring in her belly.

She looked up at him. The heat in his eyes should have frightened her, but all it did was entice her. Her lips parted involuntarily. She leaned forward until her face was nestled in his neck and placed a small kiss on his neck. She noticed the shudder going all through him.

"Elena," he gasped. His mouth grazed her cheek as he spoke directly in her ear. "I have to calm down. I don't know what's going to happen if I don't calm down."

Desire exploded throughout Elena's body at his confession, once more shallowing her breath.

"Okay, let's sit down for a minute," she said awkwardly and they sat down on one of the red sofas.

A waitress came over. "Can I get you two anything?"

He most certainly couldn't handle another kiss right now, he knew that. Not since Katherine had he felt so out of control, and he had never wanted to feel that way again. He couldn't feel that way again, and sure as hell not for his friend's fiancée. He had felt the pain when his fiancée had cheated on him with another man, he wouldn't do that to Jamie. He just couldn't.

Elena stared at Damon who didn't look like he was about to give an answer soon.

"No thank you," she answered, giving the waitress a slight smile.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" His voice was serious, his expression lacking any emotion. "I think it would be best if we went home." He stood up, went over to the wardrobe and handed Elena her coat.

They walked to Damon's apartment in silence, and Elena hated every minute of it. When they entered his living room, he slowly seemed to regain his composure.

"Would you like anything to drink?" he asked, slightly smirking. "You don't need to kiss me for it."

"A glass of white wine, if you have it."

She smiled, glad that the tension between them seemed to be fading. They sat down on his leather couch and looked out of the window at the beautiful lights of the city.

He came back, handed her the glass of wine and joined her on his sofa.

"I apologize for my strange behavior. I was a little -" He searched for the right word. "- overwhelmed, I guess."

"I understand." She took his hand, squeezed it lightly and leaned her shoulder against his, snuggling against him.

They sat like that for a while, sipping their wine and gazing out of the huge window.

He yawned. "I'm actually quite exhausted, would you mind if we went to bed?"

"No problem."

He took her hand and led her to his bedroom. They quickly changed into their pyjamas and slipped under the covers.

"I nearly forgot, I have to text Jamie that we've made it to your apartment." She reached over, took her phone and began to type a short message.

Damon lay on his side so that he could face her. "So, were you able to enjoy yourself tonight?"

"I was. I didn't think it would be that easy," she smiled. "To be honest, I feel like I've enjoyed myself more than I should have," she admitted, hiding her face in one of the pillows.

"Me, too." He let out an exaggerated sigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" He shook his head, picked her up from the bed and softly threw her at his side of the bed.

She held onto him, and they fell down on the bed together, hugging each other. She looked up at him.

"I need to know if everything is alright between us. Is it? Are you still coming over next Saturday?" She suddenly looked very tense.

"We're good." He caressed her forehead with his fingers, stroking her hair away and kissing her softly. "Of course I'll be there."

"Good."

She took his hand, put it around her waist and slowly drifted to sleep, thinking about the crazy day she'd had. She didn't know what frightened her more; the fact that she and Jamie would soon try for a baby, or the way Damon had made her feel tonight.

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter :)**


	5. Wedding Bells

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 5: Wedding Bells

* * *

Damon woke up and felt Elena toss and turn on the other side of the bed. He rolled over to put his arms around her.

"Good morning, beautiful," he mumbled sleepily.

He could not find her warm body to cuddle into; she must have already got up. He opened his eyes and saw Jamie sitting on the edge of the bed.

"And good morning to you, too, Damon." Jamie was looking at him furiously. "Care to share why you are lying in my bed?"

_Shit._

Damon looked around, but he couldn't see Elena. Maybe she was already in the bathroom, taking a shower. He tossed the covers away and quickly sat up on the other side of the bed. Why did he have to be wearing nothing but shorts now of all time?

"I'm sorry. Elena and I wanted to watch a movie last night, but then we talked so much that it was too late and... er, Elena was tired and so we went over to her bedroom and kept talking. We must have fallen asleep here."

"Yeah, you must have." Jamie gave him a disapproving look.

"Seriously Jamie, nothing happened. Calm down," Damon tried to reassure him, but his current state of near-nudity didn't exactly help matters.

"Look, Damon. I've had a terrible and exhausting night and maybe I'm just being paranoid. I know that you mean a lot to Elena and that she likes being physically close to you, and I accept that, I have to. But if you hurt her or do something stupid, you are going to regret it. Understand?"

Damon looked at him in surprise. Jamie was one of the friendliest people he knew and an outburst like that was rare.

"I don't even want to have this discussion with you. I'm sorry for barking at you, I'm just not used to having naked men in my bed. And it's not something I want to get used to, okay?" Jamie smirked at him. "I'm going to the bakery, see you at breakfast," he quickly added.

Jamie and Elena were used to having an extensive breakfast after Jamie came home from his night shifts. During the last two months, it had become normal that Damon joined them. Normally, Elena and Damon were already having breakfast when he entered the apartment, but today they had apparently slept in. Jamie grabbed his jacket and his car keys and left.

When he entered the apartment again, he saw Damon and Elena sitting at the dining table. Elena was holding Damon's hand and giggling at something he'd said. Jamie tried to ignore the strange feeling in his stomach and went over to Elena. She was wearing her PJ's again and her hair was wet from the shower. Damon was still wearing his shorts, but at least he had put on a grey shirt.

"Good morning, love." Jamie kissed her lovingly on the forehead.

Elena let go of Damon's hand immediately, patting the chair beside her.

"Have a seat. How was your night?" she asked him.

"Exhausting. I'll tell you after I've slept, okay?" Jamie yawned.

Elena nodded.

"Did you get everything for the wedding?" Jamie asked while pouring himself some coffee.

"Yeah, the present is on the kitchen counter over there." Elena gestured at the kitchen.

"Damon, are you coming, too? To the wedding, I mean. I just remembered that Caroline invited you." Jamie walked into the kitchen, taking a look at their wedding gift for Caroline and Stefan.

"I'm afraid I have to. Caroline's threatened to kill me if I don't," Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, she can be convincing at times." Jamie winked at him and sat down at the table again. "Great, then we'll finally be able to catch up on some things."

He didn't seem mad anymore, Damon noticed in relief. Luckily, Jamie wasn't one to bear grudges.

"Are you bringing someone?" Jamie smiled at him while putting his arm around Elena's shoulders.

Elena looked up at Damon. They had talked about the wedding, but she had always assumed that Damon would be coming by himself.

"You don't go to weddings alone, do you? I asked Andie and she agreed." Damon looked at the plate in front of him, avoiding Elena's heavy gaze on him. "You know – the one I told you about the other day."

Elena knew that Jamie and Damon used to talk during their lunch breaks, but she hadn't known that they talked about Damon's love life in great detail. He would tell her if he was seeing someone at the moment, wouldn't he? They had daily contact, so she probably would have noticed. On the other hand, she didn't spend more than one or two nights a week with him, so maybe ...

"Yes, I remember," Jamie interrupted her thoughts. "Then I'll see you next Sunday. I don't have to work next Saturday, by the way, so you don't have to come over. You can, of course, if you want to."

Jamie got up and put his hands on Elena's shoulders.

"I'll try to get some sleep. Good night, darling." He kissed her on the lips and saw Damon look away quickly.

Jamie walked over to where Damon was sitting.

"Good night, beautiful," he teased, patting Damon on the head.

Damon pinched him in the side and Jamie laughed out loud, going over to the bedroom.

Elena looked at Damon with a questioning look.

"Don't ask." Damon shook his head, rolling his eyes.

* * *

The wedding ceremony was wonderful. Caroline was a stunning bride, and Elena got a bit teary-eyed when they exchanged their wedding vows. She was sitting next to Jamie, who was holding her hand and smiling at her reassuringly. The whole wedding made her feel very emotional. Caroline and Stefan had become engaged on the same day as her and Jamie, and now they were husband and wife. Soon, Jamie and she would be in the same place. Elena had always been looking forward to her wedding day. She had thought about how amazing it would feel to stand in front of her loved ones, exchanging rings and vows.

Now, she was getting more and more confused about it; it even frightened her sometimes. What place would Damon have in their wedding? Would he even come? Would he support her? A few rows behind her, she saw him sitting next to a beautiful, tall brunette. She waved at him and he smiled his typical one-sided smile that she loved so much, and waved back.

Stefan and Caroline were now walking out of the church, with flower girls throwing petals and rice at them. A few moments later, Elena and Jamie followed them and the wedding party gathered in front of the church, waiting for the happy couple to turn up again. Elena ran over to Caroline and hugged her tightly. Jamie appeared behind her and gave Caroline a hug too.

"I am so happy for you, Care! Congratulations, you deserve it so much." Elena kissed her on the cheek.

"Since when are you being this affectionate?" Caroline asked, raising one eyebrow and gesturing towards Damon, who was coming over at that moment.

"Caroline; congratulations," Damon said while giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

He turned towards Elena. "Hey. I'm so glad you're here, too."

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and seemed to be temporarily lost in her eyes.

Andie was standing behind him and let out a quiet cough.

"Sorry - Elena, this is Andie. Andie, this is Elena, my -"He paused for a second, searching for the right word. My colleague's fiancée? The woman I spend most of my Saturdays with? The woman I fantasize about while - he managed to stop his train of thoughs.

"My best friend," he concluded finally.

Elena and Jamie looked at him in surprise. He had never referred to her as his best friend before.

"Nice to meet you, Elena." Andie smiled at her.

Elena had to admit that she seemed like a nice person.

After everyone had given their congratulations, they drove over to Caroline's parents' house.

* * *

They were lucky; it was a beautiful, sunny October day. It was still comfortably warm, so the festivities could be continued in the garden behind the house. It was a spectacular view. There was a huge meadow with lots of big trees with beautifully colored leaves. At the end of the meadow, there was an allée that lead to a small shed. Caroline's flower girls were running around in the garden, hiding behind the trees, and lying in the hammocks they had hung between some of the trees.

Of course, Caroline had out done herself with the whole setting. In the middle of the garden was a huge dance floor surrounded by light bowls. Between the dance floor and the house there were little white tables and chairs, adorned with beautiful flower arrangements. At the other side, besides a small path to the house was a huge buffet where glasses of champagne were laid out on a long table.

Caroline went over to the dance floor and spoke through the microphone. "Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for coming and joining us on this perfect day. Before Stefan and I are going to cut the cake, I want all single women to get up and come to the dance floor."

About twenty women had quickly gathered on the dance floor and Elena found herself standing in the second row. In the meantime, Caroline had passed the microphone to Stefan. "And the next person to be married is going to be..."

Caroline stood in front of them, with her back to the women and tossed her bridal bouquet.

"... the lovely Elena!" Stefan concluded.

Elena had not been eager to catch the flowers, but somehow they had flown right in her direction and she didn't want to let them fall onto the ground.

"Jamie and Elena are a wonderful couple," Stefan continued. "I've known them for four years now; and I know that they'll be just as happy as Caroline and me."

The wedding party applauded. Elena looked at Jamie who looked incredibly happy and smiled at her, and her gaze wandered over to Damon. He seemed to try hard to look into a different direction.

"We need to take a picture of you two." Caroline came up from behind, holding a camera in her hand.

Jamie put his arms around Elena, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Perfect!" Caroline squealed.

Elena's eyes searched for Damon again. When she had spotted him, she looked around, but she couldn't see Andie. She handed Jamie the bouquet and walked over to Damon.

"How are you doing?" she asked, thinking about how much he hated weddings. His face seemed to prove he hadn't exaggerated.

"Just peachy, Elena." He faked a smile.

"Come on Damon, I'm your friend. I really want to know how you're doing."

"I've been better," he admitted finally.

She put her hand on his knee in a reassuring gesture and her fingertips drew small invisible circles on the fabric of his trousers.

"I missed you last night. It's strange not to have you around on Saturdays." She smiled at him.

"I missed you, too." He took a strand of her hair between his fingers and began to play with it. Suddenly, he let go of her hair.

"Look, I have to go over to Andie, I see you later, okay?"

Elena nodded and went to the table where she saw Jamie laughing with Stefan.

* * *

The wedding was amazing; Caroline had really planned every detail. Stefan and Caroline had to participate in a few embarrassing wedding games and the hours seemed to fly by. Soon, it was getting dark and the garden was illuminated in a beautiful, soft light. There were lights in the trees; the light bowls were shining brightly, illuminating the dance floor in a cozy light.

Elena was sitting in front of Jamie, who had his arms wrapped around her, and admired the beautiful candles on the table. Caroline had really succeeded in creating a romantic atmosphere. Elena snuggled into Jamie's embrace. She looked over to where she had previously seen Damon and Andie. They sat closely on the other side of the garden, sticking their heads together and laughing a lot. Damon's mood seemed to have seriously improved, she thought.

Andie had one hand placed possessively on Damon's lap, the other hand touching his shoulder. He held out a spoon of cake to her and Andie giggled. She opened her mouth in the next moment and made over-exaggerated sounds of approval. Damon looked up and saw Elena staring at them.

Elena quickly looked away and got up to disappear into the house. She went into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments. She had absolutely no right to feel betrayed, but somehow it felt exactly like that. She needed a few moments to get rid of the heavy feeling in her stomach. She had to get herself together; it was Caroline's wedding, for God's sake. She pushed some cold water in her face and went out into the garden again, where Caroline and Stefan were dancing to their wedding dance.

They looked wonderful together and Elena saw the expressions of pure joy on their faces. The beautiful melody came to an end and other couples joined them on the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance?" Jamie appeared behind her and held out a hand for her.

"Absolutely." She smiled at him. Dancing with Jamie would help her calm down again.

They joined the couples spread out on the dance floor. Jamie was an amazing dancer, directing her smoothly and effortlessly from one movement into the other, their bodies completely attuned to one another. Elena followed his directions almost intuitively. They had taken lessons a few years ago and Elena had always enjoyed dancing with Jamie. It was a slow, dreamy melody, and Elena felt herself relax again.

After a while, she noticed that Damon and Andie were dancing next to them. The music had changed and, complying with the change in the music, Damon took a firm hold on Andie's hand and twirled her around. Andie was laughing, and Damon moved them around to the music, his body in complete sync with Andie's.

It was only two weeks ago that Damon and Elena had danced together and here he was, clearly enjoying himself with Andie. Elena felt a rush of jealousy rising up. She didn't feel like dancing anymore. She told Jamie she needed a break and left the dance floor in a hurry.

Damon turned around to look at her, quickly made his excuses to Andie and followed Elena. By the time he got off the dance floor, he couldn't see her anymore.

* * *

Damon had walked through the whole house looking for Elena, he couldn't find her anywhere. He went outside again and walked down the allée. He was so far away from the house now; he couldn't see the wedding guests anymore. When he reached the end of it, he saw her sitting on the edge of a small fountain. He sat down beside her.

"I've been looking for you," he stated.

Elena just nodded. He saw tears well up in her eyes.

He touched her chin. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. We're always honest with each other, right?"

She didn't say anything. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that she felt miserable because of him.

"Is it because I brought someone? Is it because of Andie?"

Elena looked in the other direction, so that he couldn't see the tears running down her face. It was all the confirmation he needed.

"Elena, look at me." His eyes searched hers.

She turned around and he began to stroke her tears away with his thumb. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

"I can't," she said after a while. "I can't tell you what I'm thinking. It's not fair to you."

He put his hand on her knee like she had done before. "She doesn't mean anything to me, you know that. No one does, except for you. You'll always come first."

"You shouldn't have to say that. We're friends." She sounded serious, her eyes unreadable.

"We are. It's just more complicated than that." He pulled her closer to him.

"And we'll deal with it, okay?" He smiled at her. "I meant it when I said you'd always come first. So just tell me what I can do to make you feel better and I'll do it."

"It's not that easy," she shot back and looked on the ground.

"I know that. It's not easy for neither of us. But I want to be in your life, and I'll take whatever place I can get."

His selflessness brought back tears in her eyes.

"Elena, please don't cry." He took her in his arms and held her until she had calmed down.

"I'm sorry for ruining your evening," she said when she had finished sobbing. She still looked miserable, but at least she was able to smile again. "And your shirt," she laughed through her tears.

"That's alright. You know I don't like weddings anyway." He touched her foot with his, reminding her of their first dinner when he had told her.

She laughed and Damon smiled at the sight.

"Okay, I'll stop being such a depressed mess now. It's just, this whole thing is getting increasingly difficult for me to handle. I feel like I've no control over my life…over myself. It's just getting more and more emotional, and I can't seem to stop, and the most frightening thing is, I don't even want it to stop."

"I feel the same," he confessed.

"But we _should_ stop, because it can't end well. We'll get hurt, and we'll hurt others."

Damon felt a surge of fear shoot through him.

Elena looked at him, and she saw the panic in his eyes.

"I know. But I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you," he got out, his voice sounding dry and hoarse.

"I know we have to talk about this, but it's not the right place. We should get back to Caroline." He stood up and held out a hand for her. He wasn't ready for this conversation yet.

"Damon, wait."

He turned around, but he didn't return her smile.

In fact, he looked so sad and shaken, it broke her heart. Damon always succeeded in making her feel better when she was sad; she had to give it a try, too. She took a penny out of her pocket and handed it to Damon.

"I hope you're not thinking about wasting a wish." She gestured at the fountain.

Damon sat back down beside her.

"Of course not." He took her hand, put the penny back in her palm and closed her hand.

"But I want to share it with you. Let's see what you can do with it."

Elena nodded and threw the penny into the fountain. They looked at each other for a few moments and leaned in at the same time.

Their foreheads touched and Elena moved slightly, so that her nose touched Damon's. She breathed in the smell of him; felt him intoxicating her senses. His hand came up to cover hers, locking their fingers and caressing her skin with the pad of his thumb. Damon stroked her cheek with his fingertips, slowly gliding down to her neck and the butterflies in her belly returned. Being this close to her was the most comforting thing Damon had ever experienced. He began to leave tiny kisses on her neck, on her jaw, then on her nose, kissing away the tears she had cried because of him. Elena put her arms around his neck to get even closer to him.

She looked up at him and saw his confused expression.

"Elena," he gasped.

The way he pronounced her name, so emotional and full of admiration, gave her shivers. Their bodies moved closer and their lips brushed gently. Damon looked at her with an expression of amazement and wonder and his lips touched hers for the second time. It was a sweet kiss, Damon was pressing his lips softly against hers and Elena's eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the moment of being this close to him.

"Damon," she whispered when they broke free. She had meant it as a warning, but it sounded like an invitation.

He leaned in another time, and this time, he kissed her more passionately, his tongue demanding entrance into her mouth, running along her bottom lip and slowly, he captured hers between his own. Elena parted her lips, giving him access to the contours of her mouth. Their tongues danced together, and Elena felt her breath shallow. Damon kissed her so fiercely that he had to hold her around the waist to prevent her from falling into the fountain, and Elena clung to him like her life depended on it.

Damon was an incredible kisser. He kissed her like he was worshipping her, like he wanted to get closer and closer to her. He kissed her and left her breathless, paused for a few moments to look at her with so much love only to lean in again and kiss her even more intensely.

_With so much love._

"Oh my god."

Elena broke away from him and stood up quickly. She couldn't be close to him; she couldn't think when she was this close to him. But this was wrong, so wrong. This was different than the innocent kiss in the club, she had seen it in Damon's eyes and she had felt it herself when she had kissed him. It suddenly hit her with full force.

_She was falling for Damon._

She shook her head and began to run down the allée to the house, leaving Damon sitting on the edge of the fountain with his head in his hands.

* * *

**Please review :)**


	6. Farewell

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story! 100 followers, that's awesome! Hope you like the new chapter! :)

* * *

**The Weekend Deal  
**  
Chapter 6: Farewell

* * *

Elena was lying in her bed, consulting the clock on her night dresser. It was 3 am and she couldn't sleep anymore. To be precise, she hadn't found any sleep at all since she and Jamie had gone to bed. She didn't want to get up, she didn't want to face the day. She wasn't sure she could go through with what they had decided last night. There was a big lump in her throat and an ache in her heart whenever she thought of what was to come.

Before they had gone to bed, she had told Jamie about the kiss. She had told him that she had initiated the whole thing at the fountain in a misguided attempt to make Damon feel better and that she was afraid of her feelings for Damon. He deserved to know. She couldn't lie to him, she didn't want to, it wasn't like her. He had been so hurt, the look on his face still haunted her. He had asked her if she wanted to break off the engagement and just thinking about it broke her heart. She couldn't live without Jamie, she loved him, she needed him. He was always there for her and she trusted him more than anyone.

She stared at the ceiling. Why couldn't this day be over already?

It was the Saturday after the wedding. She hadn't seen or talked to Damon since the incident at the fountain. She had written him a short message and they had agreed that she would come over today so that they could talk about the situation.

It was the right thing to do. She was engaged, she was planning on having children. She couldn't continue the sleepover sessions when every time she saw Damon she was getting more and more attached to him. At least that's what her mind said. Her heart ached at the thought of even considering not having him around anymore. She tried not to allow herself to think about how she would actually feel without Damon, she just focused on the fact that it was the right thing to do.

She had seen the relief when she had told Jamie what she intended to tell Damon. She wanted to do this for him. She had to do this for him.  
She held her pillow over her head and wished she were able to shut the world out, if only for a few hours.

* * *

17 hours later, Elena was standing in front of Damon's apartment. She had somehow managed to survive the day, but the worst part was yet to come. She was nervous, her feet were shaking. At first, she had thought about cancelling and discussing it on the phone so that she would not have to deal with the effect his presence had on her, but it wasn't fair to him. She took a deep breath and rang the bell with trembling hands.

After a few seconds, Damon opened the door. She had never seen him look this anxious before.

"Come on in." He sounded nervous.

Without further words, he took her coat and walked her in.

No hug, no kiss on the cheek, Elena noticed. She sat down on one side of his couch, covering herself with a blanket. The chilly atmosphere in his apartment made her feel cold.

"Would you like something to drink?" Damon asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Just a glass of water."

A second later he appeared from the kitchen, handing her the glass.

"Thank you."

Elena put the glass on the little table in front of her and Damon sat down on the other side of the couch, looking at her tensely.

_Could this be any more awkward?_

"So, you wanted to talk to me about what happened at the wedding?" Damon broke the silence.

He was so afraid of this conversation. He hadn't been ready at the wedding last week and he wasn't ready now. He was so afraid of losing her, of losing the person that meant the most to him. He had tried to prepare himself for what she was about to say, but he still felt completely unprepared.

Elena just nodded. "I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have done what I did," she started to explain.

Damon looked up at her, saying nothing.

"We took things too far. It can't happen again," she quickly added.

"I know."

"I am engaged. I can't kiss other men like that."

"I know."

"Don't just say 'I know' or nothing at all, say something."

He paused for a moment before he stood up abruptly and started to pace in front of her.

"What do you want me to say? I know where this conversation is going. You'll suggest we never see each other again, right? Because this is how it goes. This is how it ends everytime I open up and let myself feel something. So what do you want me to say? I really don't feel like saying anything."

She had planned her speech over and over again last night, she had planned every detail she would say to him, but Damon's statement changed everything. She felt like the rug was pulled out from her feet.

"Damon -"

"Don't 'Damon' me. Just get it over with. Is never seeing me again your plan or not?" He looked at her fiercely, barely able to contain his emotions.

Elena took a deep breath. This was the moment she had feared all night, and it felt even more terrible than she had imagined.

"I don't want that. You have to believe me. I don't want to never see you again, and I don't want to hurt you... but we can't stop what's going on between us, even if we try. We can't be just friends. So what other way is there?"

"I knew it." He looked out of the window for a moment. He didn't know how to handle what she was saying.

"You don't even _want_ to give it a try?"

Hurt was plastered all over his face. It took all her strength not to give in, all her strength not to break.

"I don't think it would work out."

He looked at the ground.

"It's not because I don't care about you. It's because I care too much," she tried to explain.

"If this is the 'It's not you, it's me' speech - I've heard it before, save it."

"Damon ..."

She moved over and cupped his cheek with her hand. In that moment, she realized she couldn't do this. She needed to give him some comfort, it broke her heart seeing him like that, so devastated and hurt. She let her fingers wander over his face. His breathing quickened and she could feel that he was fighting to contain his emotions.

"Please don't touch me, I can't take it right now," he pleaded, his voice thin and hoarse.

She ignored his request and took him in her arms, putting her head in the crook of his neck. It felt so good to be close to him. She needed this too, she just hadn't admitted it to herself.

Damon stayed still for a while, but after a few minutes he returned the embrace, bringing her closer to him. His hands stroked her back, sliding down from her shoulders to her waist, holding her in his arms.

"I don't want to lose you," he repeated the words he had said at the wedding, pressing his lips to her neck.

"I don't want to lose you either." She leaned back so that their foreheads touched.

"Can I have this evening? One last sleepover to say goodbye?" he whispered.

"Yes, of course," she answered quietly, her voice thin.

He got up and handed Elena her coat. She looked at him quizzically.

"Let's go for a walk. I need to get out of here, it's too depressing."

"It's dark outside," Elena stated the obvious.

He cocked his head to the side and held out his hand for her.

"You'll survive. Come on."

* * *

They walked through the city to a beautifully illuminated bridge where they sat down on a bench.

"This is actually one of my favorite places in this city. I often come here to think about things," Damon explained.

Elena nodded, trying to fake a smile. She hadn't felt this miserable in a while.

"Please don't look at me like that," he sighed.

Maybe this whole evening hadn't been the best idea. Every time he let himself consider the fact that this was their last sleepover, his stomach flipped. It was getting really difficult to dismiss the thought, and according to the look on her face, he was not the only one struggling.

"Sorry."

She tried to smile again, but failed miserably and they both had to laugh.

"You know what - I'll offer you a deal."

He wanted to make this evening work, he wanted to have the chance to have a proper goodbye.

"This started with a deal," Elena said, raising her eyebrows.

"A less disastrous deal, I promise," he smirked at her.

"I'll try to enjoy tonight and not be sad, if you do the same. Okay?" he explained. It would be hard, but he could do it, for Elena.

She looked at him for a few seconds.

"Okay, I'll try." She nodded approvingly, and he wasn't sure if she wanted to convince him or herself that she could do it.

He nodded and took her hand in his.

"Then let's walk some more. We can pick up a few things from the supermarket over there on our way back. I'd like to cook you dinner."

She wasn't hungry and she questioned if she was able to eat at all tonight, but she had promised to give it a try, so she tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

"Sounds great."

"You really are the worst liar in the world," Damon laughed.

He put one of his arms around her shoulder, the other one around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

They continued walking through the night, talking and laughing on their way, and for a short while, they were able to forget that this was the last time they'd ever see each other.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Damon was cooking one of his Italian specialties, creating a wonderful smell in the kitchen.

Elena sat on the kitchen counter beside him and opened a bottle of wine. She poured them both a glass and handed him one.

"Here, I think we'll need this tonight," she said, gulping it down in one sip.

"You promised you'd try." He gave her a disapproving look.

"I _am_ trying." She poured herself another glass.

They stayed silent for a few minutes.

"There was something I've been wondering at the wedding." Elena looked at him.

"Why am I such an amazing kisser?" He lifted one of his eyebrows at her. "I'm not sure I want to share my secret."

"You are ..."

She pinched him in the side. She couldn't believe that he would bring up their kiss like that. She searched for the right word while shaking her head. _Unbelievable_ didn't even begin to cover it.

" ... a cocky bastard, I know, I know. You're repeating yourself," Damon finished the sentence for her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "No, _that_ I did not wonder. It was something else. I've been wondering how long ago your engagement with Katherine was."

Damon shot her an angry look. "Do we really have to do this right now?" He looked annoyed.

Elena waited for him to answer her question.

"Fine, it was 3 years ago," he surrendered.

Elena nodded.

"Why does it matter anyway?"

"Just curious. Do you have pictures of her?"

"Do you want me to jump from the roof tonight?" he shot back, shaking his head.

"Don't be so melodramatic. It was just a question."

"Yes, I do have pictures. They're in the drawer over there. I haven't opened it for the last three years. And no, you can't have a look at them, but you never listen to anything I say anyway, so please - help yourself."

Elena smiled and went over to the drawer. It was one of the things she had always wondered about Damon. How had he been acting when he'd been in a relationship? How had Katherine changed him? She took the first picture out of the drawer.

It showed Damon and a beautiful brunette in a tight embrace. In the background she could see water; they had apparently been on a boat. Damon's arms were wrapped around Katherine while she snuggled into his embrace. It wasn't the most intimate position, but Elena felt like she was somehow invading their privacy. The look on Damon's face was what astonished Elena the most. Damon looked happier than she had ever seen him before and he looked at Katherine like he was utterly in love with her.

She took the next picture out of the drawer. It was a collage of little pictures they had taken at one of these photo booths at the station. Damon and Katherine were making faces, grimassing in a few pictures while laughing in others.

She took a look at one last picture. It showed Katherine in Damon's bed, wearing one of his white shirts and looking into the camera seductively. Her lower body was covered by the silk sheets. Elena put the pictures back into the drawer and closed it.

It was obvious that the unhappy ending of his engagement had changed him and it hurt her deeply to see it. His younger self looked like she had always expected; a caring person who loved to be close and intimate with his girlfriend, while being witty and funny at the same time. He seemed to have been the perfect boyfriend, she couldn't understand why anyone would have left him.

She walked back into the kitchen where Damon had finished cooking and stood right behind him, looking over his shoulder. She put her arms around his waist, lying her head on his shoulder.

"You are an amazing person, have I told you that lately?" she whispered in his ear.

He didn't know whether she was referring to his cooking abilities or if it had something to do with the pictures, but he had to smile.

"Not today," he smirked and leaned back to look at her.

"You, too," he added, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

* * *

After they had finished their dinner, they went over to the couch and just talked for a long while. Elena didn't come back to the subject of Katherine and Damon seemed to be in a good mood again.

After two hours of talking, Elena yawned.

"I think we should go to bed," she said eventually. She had tried to delay it as long as possible because she didn't want the evening to end, but she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

"Do you want me to sleep on the couch? You can sleep in my bed," Damon offered.

"We've never slept apart. Why start now?"

He gave her one of his 'You know why' looks, but didn't say anything.

"Alright then, let's go to bed." He held out a hand for her, and they walked over to his bedroom.

"I don't have my pyjama with me. I didn't plan on sleeping here."

"You can have one of my shirts if you like?"

Elena nodded and Damon handed her his shirt. After a few moments, she came back from the bathroom, dressed in nothing but his blue, oversized shirt and small black panties. She quickly slid under the covers and Damon joined her shortly afterwards.

"Good night, Elena," he said.

She searched for his hand and stroked his palm with her thumb.

It was comforting to have her around, but on the other hand, he couldn't ignore the inner countdown that was running in his mind. In a few hours, she would leave his apartment and they would part forever. It seemed so surreal.

Deep down, he could understand why she wanted to do this. He had seen how much she depended on Jamie. He got that she could relax around him, that she felt safe. He understood that she needed him. He knew that Elena had liked him since the first time their feet had touched under the table, but at the beginning, he had always made her a bit nervous and uncomfortable. The moment Jamie had entered the apartment and had joined them at the breakfast table, he had noticed the change within her.

But during the last few weeks, things had changed, she was starting to slowly open up to him, he could feel it. She started to feel safe with him, too. But obviously, that didn't change her decision. She was still engaged and he knew that she felt like she owed it to Jamie. He knew that she loved Jamie, but was she still in love with him?

He lay on his back, thinking about what he would do without her when he heard her quiet sobs. He turned to her immediately, taking her in his arms.

"Elena, don't cry. You promised. Our deal, remember?" He tried to lighten the mood, but she began to sob even more intensely.

"Just forget about the stupid deal." Tears were running down her face, and she couldn't hold back her sobs anymore.

"Elena." Damon caressed her face with his fingers.

She nuzzled into his neck. "I'll miss you so much," she whispered hoarsely.

"Please, don't make this more difficult than it already is."

Until now, he had managed to hold himself together, but it was getting increasingly difficult.

She cupped his face in her hands and she could see the tears well up in his eyes as well.

He leaned forward and their foreheads touched. He kissed the tears away that ran down her cheek, his hands stroking her back and bringing her closer to him. Being this close was the only thing that seemed to offer comfort, and it was exactly what they needed. They were lying on their sides, their bodies molded against each other. Damon brushed his lips against hers and he could taste the salty tears on her lips. Tears were still running down her face.

"Elena, don't cry," he repeated the words he had said before.

She didn't respond, instead she closed the distance between them once more, pressing her lips against his. She cried even more intensely when she felt his lips touching hers, and she kissed him more fiercely, pouring all her heartbreak into the kiss. Because that was how she felt in this moment, her heart was breaking. Kissing him was comforting and painful at the same time. She had never experienced anything that came even close to how emotional this situation was. Damon cupped her face with his hand, her hand entwined in his hair. It all seemed to blur together - their tongues, her cries, her tears. Damon broke the kiss for a short moment. She looked at him and saw a painful expression on his face, but she could also see a hint of lust in his eyes. His hand left her face and he began to caress her body, slowly wandering from her arms to her waist, from her belly to her legs. His fingertips touched her thighs and he remembered that she was still wearing nothing but one of his shirts.

"I need you, " Elena gasped.

He could still hear the agony in her voice, but it sounded different than before. He wasn't sure what she meant. She needed him in her life, surely that's what she meant, right? She couldn't mean ...

Elena interrupted his thoughts, rolling on top of him with a quick motion. She didn't know why she was doing it, but she couldn't stop herself. She needed to be close to him, closer than they had ever been before. She didn't think anymore, ignoring the warnings her brain send out, and only focused on what she felt in that moment. She wanted to feel something different from the agony and pain, she needed to feel him. She wanted to feel him.

Damon could feel her hip against his, his erection pressing against her center while Elena kissed him with all she had. Something had changed, Damon felt the change in the atmosphere between them. She had stopped crying, instead she kept kissing him as intensely as possible, while pressing herself against his body.

_We have to stop this, this isn't right_, he thought.

"Elena."

She ignored his protest, kissing his jaw. Her tongue wandered over to his neck and for a short moment, Damon forgot why exactly they were supposed to stop.

He let out a loud moan when he felt Elena softly bite his neck. Elena reached for the waistband of his shorts and began to tug them down, but Damon caught her wrist.

"Elena, no," he said, determination in his voice.

It took all his strength not to give in. He could feel her naked legs tangled up with his, and he nearly lost it. He wanted her, more than he had ever wanted a woman, but not like this. Not when she would leave tomorrow. She had come here determined to end things and he knew that this was what she wanted. She was confused and emotional right now, and he couldn't exploit her current state. She would regret it in the morning and he didn't want to add guilt to her pain. Things had already got way too far. Carefully, he pushed her off his body.

Elena rolled over to her side, but didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything; she felt sad, and guilty, and embarrassed, and it was just too much.

"This sleepover wasn't a good idea. Maybe you should leave," Damon said after a while.

Elena didn't respond, but she got up from the bed and reached for her clothes. She got dressed, took her things out of the drawer he had reserved for her and left his bedroom. Damon followed her and they stood in front of his door for a few moments.

"So, this is goodbye?" Damon managed to get out.

Elena just nodded, opening his front door.

He didn't know what she wanted him to say. I'm sorry? I'll miss you? I'll never forget you? He didn't feel like saying something so cheesy and superficial, it didn't even come close to what he felt at this moment. So he just reached out for her and pulled her in a tight embrace, stroking away her tears with his thumb for one last time.

Elena didn't really respond to his embrace, she just stood there. It had been too much and she had no strength anymore, she just felt empty. She escaped his embrace, took a step out of the door and gave him one last look before she closed the door behind her.

They both sank to the floor at the next moment, their backs rested against the door.

* * *

**A/N: **So, that's it. Next chapter will be a short epilogue... hope you liked the story. ;) Just kidding.

I'll be moving to England next week, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but don't worry.. I have a lot in store for them!

Please, leave a review and tell me what you think of this chapter! :)


	7. Good Times, Bad Times

I've settled in in England a bit and now have a good internet connection *yay*

This chapter is still not a happy chapter, but at least we're flashing back to happier times ...

the next chapter is going to be a happier one, promise!

Hope you like it! :)

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 7: Good Times, Bad Times

* * *

Damon entered the bar, his black leather jacket hanging loosely off his shoulder. He sat down at the bar and ordered a whiskey on ice.  
He swallowed it down in one gulp and waved at the bartender to order the next one. Three weeks had passed since Elena had left his apartment, but he felt as if it happened only yesterday. He felt desolate, hopeless and completely devastated. He had promised himself that he would never allow a woman to make him feel this way again and in the last three years he had been doing a great job in protecting his heart, but Elena had managed to do what no woman had ever accomplished before. In only three months, she had become the most important part in his life, he had fallen for her deeper than he had imagined possible and in a final act whose intensity could rival any classical drama she had broken him.

They had connected so well on a level he had never experienced with anyone before that he hadn't even thought about protecting his heart. He couldn't describe how angry he was at himself for repeating the same mistake over and over again. He knew that he needed to get a grip, that he had to pull himself together, but he didn't have the energy to do so. He got up, went to work, went to bed and got up again. He couldn't even bring himself to find a distraction. When Katherine had left him, he had buried himself in women. It hadn't filled the emptiness, but it had definitely made him feel better. This time, he hadn't even touched himself. He had tried to relieve himself in the shower once, but his thoughts had flashed back to that last night Elena had spent in his bed, covered in his shirt and her small panties, and he hadn't been in the mood to continue stroking himself. The painful and vulnerable expression on her face after he had rejected her still haunted him.

Work wasn't a good distraction either. Jamie was clearly avoiding him, but every now and again they bumped into each other and his stomach flipped everytime they talked. He wasn't mad at Jamie, how could he be, but it just hurt so damn much that he couldn't even have a normal conversation with him. He had thought about asking how Elena was doing but he hadn't been able to get the words out.

He gulped down his second round of drinks, letting it slowly warm him from the inside. Over and over he told his mind that he hadn't known her that long, and that it would be alright eventually, but his heart didn't listen. He had never been in so much pain. Things would get better eventually, he knew that from experience. So all he could do was sit here and wait until his thoughts were not consumed by her anymore and try to comfort himself with alcohol. He knew he was being pathetic, and he hated himself for it.

He felt someone wrap their arms around him, like Elena had done so often. He had loved the feel of her skin against his, he had loved feeling her breath on his neck - it had felt so intimate, so honest, so right.

* * *

_Elena put her arms around his neck, nuzzling into him from behind._

_Damon wasn't wearing a shirt and she still wasn't immune to the effect his body had on her. Her arms wandered over his back, leaving invisible circles on his skin and Damon moaned sleepily as she touched him._

_Elena's stomach let out a loud groan._

_"Someone wants us to get up for breakfast," she whispered in his ear._

_"I don't want to move," he pouted, repeating the words she had said on their first sleepover when they had been sleeping together on the couch._  
_  
Elena pulled away from him, smiling at the memory._

_Once again, they had fallen asleep in her bed and Damon hadn't gone over to the living room. It was becoming a routine between them. At the beginning of the evening they always agreed that he would sleep on the couch, but at the end, neither of them wanted to sleep apart. When they were lying on the couch, Elena was too tired to get up, and when they were lying in her bed, somehow they always fell asleep._

_"Do you want to have breakfast in bed?" she offered._

_Damon nodded enthusiastically and looked at her with wide puppy eyes. Elena thought he looked incredibly cute when he was doing that, so young and innocent._

_He pulled her over and cuddled into her arms._

_"I think I love you," he said jokingly._

_He saw her frown at his words for a few seconds, before she recovered herself._

_"Don't you have to get up for that? Breakfast in bed, remember?"_

_Damon cocked his head to the side, teasing her. He knew she loved their extensive Sunday morning cuddles and that she didn't want to get up yet._

_"I changed my mind, I'm not hungry anymore." She nuzzled into his neck again and took in the smell of him. "Please let me stay like this for a few more minutes."_

_Damon had to smile; he knew her so well. Her nose touched his neck, wandering from his left shoulder to his ear. He could not feel happier than in these moments when he was this close to her._

_"Who am I to hinder your wishes." He put her arm around his waist, bringing her closer to him._

_She softly bit his ear. "I could have you for breakfast," she laughed. "You seem tasty."_

_She knew that she was crossing a line here, but she constantly did with Damon, and he never seemed to mind._

_"I think we could arrange that."_

_He turned around, a huge grin on his face, and began to bite her shoulder. His teeth caressed her skin, sending tingles over her body. His mouth wandered over to her neck, softly teasing her throat. She had to stop him before it got out of hand, before the feelings in her belly went lower, to places she couldn't allow them to be._

_"Alright, alright, I'll go," she laughed, escaped his embrace and stood up._

_"Just as I was getting to the good parts."  
_

_Elena pulled the covers over his head, shaking her head in amusement. She went over to the kitchen. After a few minutes, she returned with a huge breakfast tray and knocked on the door frame._

_"Mister Salvatore, room service." She smiled at him innocently."Your breakfast is ready, Sir."_

_"Miss Gilbert, thank you so much." He decided to participate in her role-play._

"Why are you wearing nothing but your pyjama, Miss? Isn't that a bit - unusual?" He smirked, arching his eyebrows.

_"Ah, yes, I suppose it is," she grinned. "I thought maybe I could join you?"_

_She looked down at the ground, trying to suppress her laughter. She hadn't planned the sexual innuendo in her tone, maybe Damon's personality was slowly rubbing off on her._

_Damon was sitting at the end of the bed, his body rested against the wall, and patted at the place between his legs._

"Please do."

* * *

His memories got interrupted when he heard someone whisper in his ear. "Figured I would find you here."

Unfortunately, it didn't sound like Elena's voice at all. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. For a moment he had thought that it were indeed Elena's arms, that she had been looking for him because she felt as miserable as he was.

"Andie." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but it came out annoyed.

"What are you doing here? I thought it is Elena day." She winked at him.

He fought the urge to grab the nearest napkin and put it in her mouth just to get her to shut up. His Saturdays were already bad enough, he didn't need a painful reminder, thank you very much.

"Yeah, well, things change." His voice was dark, filled with annoyance. He hoped she would take the hint.

"That's such a shame. You two were the cutest best friends I've ever met."

Of course she didn't. He got up and took his jacket from the barstool next to him.

"Leaving already? I thought maybe you would like to come over to my place."

She arched her eyebrows in a way that he figured was supposed to be seductive, but he wasn't in the mood tonight.

"Not tonight, Andie. Maybe next week, okay?"

"You can booty call me everytime you want," she offered.

Damon just nodded and left the bar. Great. Apparently he wasn't just heartbroken, he had become asexual as well. How ironic was that? He shook his head and began to slowly walk home to his empty apartment.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elena was sitting on her couch, covered in a blanket and trying to comfort herself with ice cream. She had spent the last two Saturday nights at Caroline's, but she didn't feel like going today. She felt miserable, and even the tons of ice cream she had consumed had not helped to improve her mood. She nuzzled into the blanket.

She could not think about anything else. She had tried to watch a movie, she had tried to cook in order to distract herself, she had gone into the bedroom to read a book - everything reminded her of him, every place in their apartment reminded her of him. She closed her eyes and she could still smell him on the blanket. She thought about his smell, about how good he had tasted, about how amazing his mouth had felt on hers. She just couldn't stop torturing herself, he was consuming her every thought. She couldn't stop thinking about the last look he had given her, couldn't stop thinking about the pained expression on his face when he had pushed her off his body. She closed her eyes.

Sunlight was falling through the window when she opened them again. She must have fallen asleep on the couch. The position she was in reminded her of their first sleepover ...

* * *

_She snuggled into the pillow beneath her. It felt a bit hard, but not in a bad way, more like a comfortable, clearly-defined hard. And it smelled incredibly good. She took a deep breath and breathed in the smell. It smelled a bit like washing powder, and like a mix between male deodorant and aftershave. Wait a second. She knew that smell ..._

_She opened her eyes and her face was about two inches away from Damon who looked down at her with wide open eyes. Her arms were wrapped around his waist and her head was lying on his chest._

_"Wow, did we really do this? I thought it was a dream," Elena mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes at the sunlight that filled the room._

_"Morning after regrets?" he teased, smiling his typical one-sided smile._

_"Not really," she smiled back at him. "I've slept really well, thanks to you."_

_"Well, then we really need to repeat this sometime soon."_

_She could see that he was relieved at her reaction._

_"What about you? I mean, I was the one on top, clearly it wasn't as comfortable for you."_

_She wasn't fishing for compliments, although she had to admit it sounded a bit like that._

_"Spending ten hours snuggled up against a beautiful woman - you're not gonna hear me complain," he chuckled._

_She escaped his embrace and got up, putting her arms above her head, stretching them._

"I'm going to take a shower and then we can have breakfast, alright?"

_She looked at Damon and noticed that he looked a bit anxious._

_"Actually, I think I'm just getting dressed and then I'll be heading home," he said, trying to sound casual._

_Elena looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, okay, that's fine, too."_

The disappointment in her voice didn't escape him. He went into the bathroom, quickly brushed his teeth and came back into the living room.

_"Thank you, Elena. For everything." He gave her a hug and quickly left the apartment._

_Elena shook her head. What was that? A moment ago, he was pressed up against her and now he couldn't stay in the same room with her for two minutes? Something must have been bothering him. She couldn't come up with something though, so she shook off the thought and went into the bathroom._

_Twenty minutes later, she heard the bell ring._

_"Damon."_

She was surprised to see him standing in front of her door again so soon.

_"Did you forget anything?"_

_"No, I, er -," he stammered. "Yes. I forgot to ask if you've got any plans for today."_

_His hands reached behind his back and he held up a picknick basket, waiting nervously for her response. He knew that it was a bit too much, considering this was the second time they had seen each other, but it had just overcome him._

_"I know a really nice place just outside town. You're up for it?" He smiled, raising his eyebrows in suspense._

_"Of course."_

_A huge smile was plastered all over Elena's face. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist._

_"I thought I had done something to chase you away."_

_"Yeah, like that's possible." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I will always be here for you Elena. As long as you need me."_

* * *

Tears ran down her face at the memory. She didn't want to be this weak and it infuriated her that she couldn't stop thinking about him, but she couldn't help herself. She reached over to get a tissue when she suddenly noticed Jamie standing at the front door. She hadn't even noticed that he had entered the flat. She shook her head in disbelief at herself.

"Elena, what's the matter?" Jamie walked over, putting his arms around her in a close embrace.

Elena kept looking at the ground, so he put his thumb on her chin, tenderly forcing her head up so that she had no choice but to look at him.  
Her eyes were swollen and red, and she looked terrible.

"Please tell me," he pleaded, his eyes searching hers.

"Nothing. Don't worry."

She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You've obviously been crying."

She didn't want to tell him how miserable she was feeling. She wanted nothing more than to show him that everything was alright, he deserved to hear that she was alright. Maybe if she pretended hard enough it would turn out to actually _be_ alright in the end.

"Did you get nightmares again? Why didn't you go to Caroline's?" He stroked her hair tenderly.

"I didn't have nightmares," she reassured him. "Everything's fine."

"Please don't lie to me."

She said nothing.

He let out a deep sigh. Elena had been in this state for three weeks now, and he hadn't said anything to her because she had told him not to. He had thought that things would get better, eventually, and that she would get over her hurt soon, but that didn't seem to be the case. It took all his strength to get the words out, but he had to ask her, he couldn't pretend that everything was alright when both of them knew that this clearly wasn't the case.

"It's him, right? You miss him. You miss Damon."

The words left his mouth quickly, they had been in his mind for so long and were now eager to get out as soon as possible.

Elena kept looking at the ground, curling her toes like she was in pain.

"I don't want to talk about him right now... please," she pleaded, looking up at him.

She couldn't even hear his name without tears welling up in her eyes.

"Do you love him?"

And there it was. A little question, four innocent words that had the power to decide over the course of his life, that could change things forever.

"Jamie, please."

She was evading the question. She hadn't denied it, he realized.

"It's a simple question, do you love him or not?"

He knew he was being insensitive, but he needed to know. For once in his life he pushed back the urge to pull her in his arms and to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay and that he loved her. For once in his life he was the one that needed to be reassured.

Elena didn't say anything for a few moments.

"I don't know. It's not that simple," she said finally.

"It should be."

Jamie shook his head, went over to the window and stared out for a few moments. This felt like his worst nightmare had just come true. He put his head in his hands and leaned down on the window frame.

"I'm so sorry."

Elena stood up and went over to him. She touched one of his hands with her fingertips and softly tore it away from his face.

"Jamie, look at me." She looked him directly in the eyes. "I don't love him. Not like I love you, it's different."

A flash of hope filled his eyes, but it was gone within a second.

"But you have feelings for him."

"Yes."

There was no point in denying it. It was true, she had feelings for Damon. She had realized it at the fountain, and she had tried to ignore it when she told him that they could never see each other, but it hadn't worked out. Her mind had lost the battle against her heart when she had visited him. She knew that she felt something for him, it consumed her, and she was terrified of the intensity of her feelings. But she hadn't lied to Jamie. She didn't know if she loved him yet. She was clearly in love with him, but she wasn't sure if she loved him.

"But you already knew that, that's why we decided -" She couldn't get the words out. "- what we decided three weeks ago."

"I didn't realize he meant that much to you." Jamie's face was serious, and his eyes looked sadder than they had ever been before.

"I wouldn't have suggested it had I known that you feel so much for him."

Elena thought about telling him that it was not true, that he didn't mean that much to her, but what would be the point? Jamie had seen her reaction, so he probably wouldn't believe her anyway. It hurt her deeply to see him like that, she wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how to, so she just nodded.

"I didn't want to talk you into it, I swear," Jamie continued.

He was starting to blame himself, she realized. She had to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that she didn't blame him.

"You didn't. I wanted this." She cupped his cheek. "I want this," she added, switching to present tense.

"I can't let you do this to yourself anymore. I just can't. I have seen you completely broken five years ago, and I promised myself that I would never let this happen to you again. I know that you're trying to do this for me, but please, just stop. All I want is for you to be happy. Seeing you like that, it kills me Elena."

Jamie crossed the room, grabbing his car keys.

"Where are you going?" Elena followed him to the door, but he was already on the stairs.

"I need to go somewhere."

Twenty minutes later, Jamie had reached his destination. He waited for a few seconds before Damon opened the door for him.

"We need to talk."

* * *

**Please leave a review! :)**


	8. Reunion

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 8: Reunion

* * *

"We need to talk."

Damon was clearly surprised to see Jamie standing in front of his door. Although they were quite close at work, he had never visited him at his apartment before.

"Is everything alright?"

"No, actually it's not. Can I come in?"

Damon nodded, and they walked over to his couch.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you. I don't want to take much of your time."

Jamie noticed the crystal tumbler on the little table in front of them. He took a look at Damon and found the same painful expression on his face that Elena was wearing earlier, the same hurt in his eyes. He hadn't really given much thought about how his friend had been doing, he realized. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"She's miserable, Damon. I haven't seen her like this for five years. She doesn't eat, she doesn't smile, most of the time she's absent-minded, sitting on the couch and crying."

"She misses you," he stated, staring out of the window for a few seconds.

Damon looked at him with wide eyes. It should have been a relief to hear that she was feeling as devastated as he did, but it hurt him deeply to know that she was in so much pain.

"I don't want her to be this unhappy, that's the last thing I ever wanted," Jamie added.

Damon just nodded.

"We have to do something, we can't just let her be this devastated."

Damon agreed with him wholeheartedly, but he couldn't figure out a way out of this misery.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I don't know. I know that she was determined to break things off with you because of me, but I can't let her do this anymore. It kills me knowing that I'm the one who made her feel this way."

"That's not true Jamie, and you know it. If anyone is to blame than it is me, or Elena, or both of us, but it's not your fault."

Jamie bit his bottom lip, a hint of sadness crossing his face, before he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess it's not."

"I'm sorry that it happened like this, I didn't plan on it to happen, you have to believe me," Damon said quietly.

Jamie let out a sigh. "Are you serious about her?"

Damon didn't say anything for a few moments. What was the right answer when someone asked you if you were serious about their fiancée?

"I mean, I know you, and I do believe that Elena means a lot to you, but I also know that your reputation concerning women isn't exactly the best," Jamie added, waiting for his answer.

"She does mean a lot me," he said finally, unsure whether this was supposed to be reassuring or offensive.

Jamie nodded. "That's what I thought." His hand went through his hair. "God, this situation is so fucked up."

Another pause. "You have to talk to her. Convince her that she doesn't have to do this, that it hurts me so much more than anything you and Elena could possibly do together. Just continue your sleepovers like you used to, and we'll see where this may lead to. After a while, we'll know if she still wants to get married to me, or if her feelings for you are too strong. You have to find out what there is between you two. Ignoring it doesn't make it easier, I know that Elena thinks it makes it easier for me, but it really doesn't."

Damon looked at him in confusion, frowning his forehead.

"I have to know if I am still the one for her, you know. How can I marry her if she has never discovered her feelings for you? You have to figure it out."

Damon sighed. He got a bad feeling thinking about this proposal.

"Jamie, I don't know. One of us is going go get really hurt in this, you do realize that, right?"

"I know. But I would rather have her tell me she doesn't love me anymore after she has explored her feelings for you than tell me she loves me when her thoughts are with you," he admitted. "Or ..." He paused for a second.

"Or she's going to spend some time with me and find out that it's _you_ she really wants to be with," Damon interrupted him, finishing his sentence.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Damon. Of course that's what I want to happen. She's my fiancée, and I love her, and I hope that spending more time with you will somehow decrease the attraction between you and her. Because it's always exciting when you meet someone, everything is new and thrilling. We've known each other for five and a half years, I don't have that effect on her, not anymore. But maybe it will fade once you've spent more time together."

Well, at least he was honest. He didn't know what to think of the idea. Sharing Elena until she made her decision seemed absurd and wrong on so many levels.

"You can have a think about it. But please, just continue your sleepover sessions, and we'll see what happens ..."

"I'll think about it," Damon promised.

"Okay, then I'll better be going."

Jamie took his coat and went over to the front door. Taking another look at the empty crystal tumbler, he put his hand on Damon's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I know how it hurts, trust me."

This was such a typical Jamie thing to say. He had fallen in love with his fiancée, he wasn't supposed to feel compassion, he was supposed to get angry.

"I have to go to my parents' this evening and I'm going to stay the night, so if you've already come to a decision until then, just visit her. Tell her everything is going to be alright."

"Okay."

Damon closed the door behind him and poured himself another glass of whiskey. What was he supposed to do now? Anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature could see that this idea was one of the stupidest in the history of ideas and that it couldn't possibly end well. And here he sat like a lovestruck idiot really thinking about doing it. He wanted nothing more than to be there for Elena, and it hurt him so much knowing that she was in so much pain. But he wouldn't make the same mistake again, would he? He could see how it would turn out, they would spend a few nights together, and after a couple of weeks, Elena would feel guilty and break things off again. He couldn't do this to himself, he didn't think his heart could survive another painful rejection.

He shook his head, pouring himself another glass.

* * *

Elena was lying in her bed when she heard the bell ring. She went over to the living room and opened the door.

"You came." For the first time in three weeks, a slight smile spread on her face.

"Of course I came," Damon smirked at her.

He let his bag fall off his shoulders and put his arms around her. Contrary to the last time he had hugged her, Elena let herself fall into his embrace.

She lay her head against his chest, both arms wrapped around his waist. He smelled even more incredible than she had remembered. Her hands wandered up his back, bringing him closer to her. He lifted her up, spinning her around in his embrace. Elena laughed, and it felt like a cathartic release.

"I'm so glad you're here," she laughed, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

"Me too."

She wrapped her arms around his waist again and buried her nose in the crook of his neck. It felt like heaven, like peace, like home.

"Would you like to go out? Grab a bite to eat?"

"Absolutely."

She paused for a few seconds. She had assumed that he had come over to stay the night, but he hadn't really said so, she realized.

"Would you like to leave your bag at my place?" she offered, waiting nervously for his answer.

"Yeah, that would be handy."

She let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He took her hand in his and they walked to a little restaurant close by where they sat down at a small table, facing each other. The waiter brought their wine and they stared at each other for a few moments, unable to say anything.

Elena was playing with her fingers nervously and finally just let out the thought that was constantly running in her mind. She couldn't indulge in smalltalk, she was too nervous at the moment.

"Do you think this is a good idea? Jamie's convinced that it is," she asked, her eyes wide open.

"No, absolutely not."

She looked at him in surprise.

Damon laid his hand on hers, stopping her nervous fingers.

"I think it's a terrible idea, and my mind has been telling me all day not to come. But somehow I found myself standing in front of your doorstep."

He cupped her cheek with his other hand, smiling at her. "I can't resist the chance of seeing you, it's as simple as that, Elena."

She froze for a moment, shocked by his honesty. "I'm so sorry Damon, for the way I behaved last time."

"We don't need to talk about it."

She was relieved at his reaction. She wasn't sure what to say to him, so she just smiled at him for a while.

"I've missed you," she said coyly.

"As I've missed you." His answer came immediately, his thumb stroking her hand.

The waiter brought their plates, and they ate in silence. Just sitting here, in comfortable silence, made her feel incredibly happy.

"So, what do _you_ think about it?" Damon asked eventually.

"I don't know. To be honest, I feel incredibly guilty sitting here with you feeling the way I do. All week I wanted nothing more than to be happy, and show Jamie that he was enough to make me happy, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't even pretend to be happy." She took in a deep breath. "I just don't feel happy without you."

Damon cupped her cheek in his hand, nodding at her reassuringly. If he had learned one thing over the last three weeks, it was that he needed her like the air he breathed.

"But about this other part, that we should discover our feelings for each other; I don't know. I've always been a monogamous person and it goes against all my values. Even if he encouraged me to do this, I'd feel like I'm cheating on him. And I'm not sure things will get easier with time, I mean, it could be, but it could also get even more complicated. I just don't know."

He nodded again. He could perfectly well understand her inner conflict.

"We don't have to do this, you know. I do think that we can give it a try, just being friends."

"Yeah, like that's going to work." She gave him an amused look.

"I keep my hands from you and you keep yours from me and then it will work. No touching means being friends, right?"

She laughed at his cute attempt to make things alright.

"Because you're so good at keeping your hands to yourself," she giggled. "Damon, be realistic. Just being friends is not going to work out."

"So what do we do then?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to do what Jamie has suggested, I suppose. Continue our sleepover Saturdays, figure out what there is between us, what we feel for each other?"

He couldn't believe that she approved his suggestion, but to be honest, he couldn't come up with a better plan either. He felt himself nodding.

"Okay then."

* * *

After they had walked back to her apartment, they stood in front of her door awkwardly.

"So, are you going to stay the night?" she asked.

He smirked at her. "I don't know. My bed's a lot more comfortable than your couch."

Seeing her disappointed expression, he let out a laugh and Elena realized he was teasing her.

"You."

She pinched him in the side, but Damon got hold of her hand, bringing her closer to his body. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before he leaned down.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world to kiss her, to capture her lips with his. He lifted her up and pushed her against the doorframe, his lips never leaving hers. Elena's fingers sank into his hair, pulling him closer to her, against her body. His tongue sneaked into her mouth and tangled with hers and her head began to spin, her knees weakening. He kissed her with such passion, pouring all the suppressed tension into this moment, she had to lean against the door for support. Her heart rammed loudly against her ribcage when she finally broke away.

"Would you like to come in or shall we continue doing this in the stairway?" Elena chuckled.

"We shall."

He tapped her nose, wearing his amused expression, and leaned in again, softly biting her bottom lip. Elena moaned into his mouth, curling her fingers around his face. Damon broke the kiss a few moments later, his eyes glowing with a mix of love, lust and passion.

And then he did something he had secretly wanted to do since their first sleepover. He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the couch, clasping her closer to him. He lay her down, cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her once again. He slowly got on top of her, and his hands explored her body, wandering from her arms to her waist, from her belly to her thighs.

Damon looked her in the eyes, sitting up.

"Hi."

He could feel her sweet breath against his lips, and he leaned in to kiss her again.

Elena's eyes were blazing, lost in the sensation of how amazing his lips felt on hers. She pulled away from his mouth and looked him in the eyes.

"Hi."

She moved a bit, trying to get into a more comfortable position, pressing her breasts against him. Damon growled at the sensation, and he pulled her against his body, his hands wrapped around the nape of her neck, his lips caressing hers.

"Damon, we should probably cool it down a bit," she panted.

"Yeah, probably." He smiled his typical one-sided smile and teased her earlob with his teeth.

She couldn't concentrate when he was this close to her. He planted wet kisses down her throat and passion exploded between them once again.

"I. just. can't. stop. kissing. you," he mumbled against her mouth, pecking her on the lips between the words.

"Damon," she giggled.

"You're so beautiful when you're laughing." He looked at her in wonder.

Elena rolled her eyes, slightly overwhelmed by the compliment.

"So, what do you want to do? Go to a club? Or stay in?" Elena asked.

"I think I'd rather stay in," he smirked.

"Would you like to have dessert? I could make you something."

"Yeah, why not."

Elena stood up and went over into the kitchen to make her favorite chocolate pudding. Damon came up behind her, placing his hand on one of her buttocks, softly pinching her. Elena turned around, an amused expression on her face.

"Sorry," Damon chuckled. "I've wanted to do this for so long."

"Really?"

"Yeah, since the first time we've been in this kitchen," he confessed.

"Feels even better than I thought." He grinned. "Admit it, you've always wanted me to do this to you, too," he added, arching his eyebrows.

"You're going to be even cockier with the new arrangement, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes in mocked annoyance.

"Probably."

"I'm going to take a shower while you finish cooking, alright?" He kissed her on the neck, sending tingles all over her body again.

He went into the bathroom, got undressed and quickly jumped under the hot spray of the shower. He needed to calm down a bit; maybe the hot water would be of help. They had to take this new arrangement, like Elena had called it, step by step, he couldn't just pull her against the fridge and take her. Although he wanted to so badly, there were no words for how much he wanted her. He stepped out of the shower. The bathroom was filled with steam due to the hot water, and he couldn't really see anything. He reached out for one of the towels when he collapsed into a body.

Elena let out a loud shriek.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I thought you were dressed. You're mobile rang, it's the hospital, I thought it could be important."

She couldn't help herself, her gaze wandered over his body, taking in the contours of his muscled shape. She couldn't see any details though, unfortunately.

"Thanks, Elena. I'll call them back in a minute."

Her breath quickened at his words. In a minute.

He took a step forward until they were standing right in front of each other. Elena gasped as she felt Damon slowly reaching out for her, pulling her against his body. She could feel his naked body pressed up against her clothes, and there was definitely something else pressing up against her... there. Desire bloomed deep in her belly. They stood there for a moment, taking in the sensation of being this close to another.

Elena put up her hand, cupping his cheek. She slowly let it wander down his neck, to his shoulders and to his chest, feeling his soft skin under her fingertips. Damon had closed his eyes, electric currents running through his body as she continued touching him. She put her other hand on his back, letting it glide over his clearly defined muscles. Her hands went to his belly, slowly going down his happy trail. Damon let out a deep growl when she reached his pubic hair, his mind going blank.

"Damon," she gasped.

He leaned down and it felt like fireworks exploding when he kissed her passionately while Elena pulled him against her with her hands on his buttocks. They were panting now, moaning into the other's mouth while rubbing against each other. Liquid desire pumped through her when she felt his erection pressing against her center in exactly the right place.

They both jumped when his phone started ringing again.

"Damn it, I have to take this. I'm sorry."

He grabbed a towel, and quickly left the bathroom, leaving Elena sitting on the edge of the bathtub. He came back after a few minutes and noticed the change in the atmosphere immediately.

"Are you alright?" He knew that look on her face, she was frowning her eyebrows in an anxious and tense way.

"I'm fine. What was it?" she asked.

"Nothing of importance. Let me just quickly change into my PJ's, and then we can eat and watch a movie or something, okay?"

He knew that she wasn't in the mood to continue what they had been doing, and he respected it. He wanted to make her feel comfortable with him again, after all, and not overwhelm her with his dashing naked body.

"Sounds good."

He pulled her into a hug and he could feel her relax again.

"I know that this is awkward and strange at the moment, and that it feels wrong. But we'll be alright, ok? We don't have to do anything, we'll just see where it takes us. We'll be alright," he repeated, while softly stroking her back.

"I thought you said this was a bad idea."

"Yeah, that too. I just wanted to reassure you," he chuckled. "But despite all the awkwardness, it did feel pretty amazing. So we're going to be alright."

"That's not exactly a logic thing to say."

"I can't concentrate with you being around," he pouted, pressing his lips together.

Elena laughed, and Damon was relieved to see her anxiety fade.

Later when they were lying on the couch after the movie had finished, Damon fumbled in the pocket of his pants.

"I would like to give you something."

Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"This is the key to my apartment. I want you to have it. I want you to know that you're always welcome."

He couldn't help but smile at the symbolism. He had unconsciously decided to let her in again, his heart had made the decision for him. He knew that there was a great chance he would get hurt again, but right now it just made him incredibly happy.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please review :)**


	9. Special Night

This chapter earns the M rating. You have been warned! ;)

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 9: Special Night

* * *

"Oh my god, you're getting laid tonight," Caroline squealed while Elena was trying to put her hand on her mouth.

"Care, shut up!"

"Come on, 'special night'?"

"He just wants to be a good friend."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Caroline said sarcastically.

"And I'm having sex every now and again, no need to squeal at the absurd idea of me having sex."

"But that's elevator sex, you can't compare that to mind-blowing Damon Salvatore sex."

"Jamie's in the other room, would you keep it down a bit? And what are you talking about elevator sex? We don't have an elevator." She rolled her eyes at Caroline who was looking at her in pity.

"Elena -" She took a dramatic pause. "Elevator sex is what I call normal, boring sex. You know, the one where you don't get too excited, but it's fine, because you've been together long enough for him to know which buttons to press to lift you up. Understand?"

Elena shook her head at her. "You're reading too much Cosmopolitan. And I don't have elevator sex with Jamie, it's perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"Whatever. But it's not toe-curling, butterflies-in-your-belly kind of sex, that's all I'm saying."

"Look, can we please change the subject."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. So how do you feel about this new arrangement?"

"Surprisingly good. With Damon, everything just feels so natural, you know. And when I'm with Jamie, it's like it has always been, I can't really notice a difference. I do feel guilty from time to time, but Jamie is really alright with it, it seems."

"I hope it turns out alright in the end," Caroline said, arching her eyebrows.

"That's what worries me, too. It's fine for now, but I don't know where this is going to take us."

"Unless you have an alternative, I guess you just have to wait and see."

"Yeah, I guess," Elena nodded.

"So, I'll better be going. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Caroline got up and walked over to the door. "Looking forward to hearing about tonight." She winked at her.

"Just go." Elena pinched her in the side while pulling her into a bear hug at the same time.

Just as she was about to close the door, Caroline turned around.

"Elena - I'm glad to see you happy again."

* * *

Elena put her key into the lock and entered Damon's apartment. It was the first time she used the key he had given her, and to be honest, it felt incredibly good. She felt like she was coming home early to surprise her husband. Of course Damon wasn't her husband and he wouldn't be surprised because she had told him that she would come over, but she had to admit that the idea excited her.

They had spent the last two weekends together, staying in, cooking, watching movies on the couch - basically doing all the things they had used to do before the incident with the exception that there now was extensive kissing and making out before, during and after everything they did. The sexual tension had reached a new level between them, becoming almost unbearable.

The first thing she noticed was a little table in front of his window which wasn't normally there. The room was dark except for two burning candles on the table. In the background, she could hear classical music playing. Elena turned around to find Damon standing in the kitchen. He looked absolutely stunning, wearing dark denim jeans and a white shirt that perfectly accented his broad shoulders.

"Elena. Didn't hear you coming."

He closed the distance between them and gave her a long, soft kiss on the lips.

"Let me take your coat. You can sit down at the table, dinner's almost ready."

"What is all this?" She gestured at the candlelight dinner table.

"I promised you a special night, right? I just want you to relax tonight."

She walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist.

"It's perfect. Thank you." She kissed his neck, softly teasing him with her teeth.

"It's not going to be a perfect dinner if you keep distracting me."

"Maybe it will be even better," she grinned and spun him around to be able to kiss him passionately on the lips.

"You're spending too much time with me," he laughed, tapping her nose.

The dinner Damon had prepared tasted amazing, as always, and the atmosphere he had created in the room was wonderful. Elena felt like she was sitting in a cozy, little French restaurant. They talked and laughed while they were having dinner, and both of them were able to forget the complicated situation they were in for a few precious moments.

"So, what are your plans for tonight?" She looked up at him and noticed that he seemed a bit nervous.

"I'm not sure you're up for it." He took a deep breath. "I thought we could take a bath together?"

"Oh," was all Elena could get out. He couldn't mean taking a bath in a small bathtub with absolutely no clothes on, could he?

"I didn't bring my bikini with me."

"Do you need it?"

From one moment to the other, the atmosphere had changed completely and was now filled with sexual tension. The way he was looking at her made her feel like he was imagining her in her bikini, or even worse, butt naked, and she couldn't help but flush. He led her into his bathroom and she took in a breath at the sight of it. There were candles on the floor, and the bathtub was surrounded by dark, red rose petals. At the little table at the end of the bathtub she could see two glasses of champagne.

"This is so beautiful." She giggled. "I feel like I'm in a cliché romantic movie."

"PG, I hope," he winked at her.

"Look, you can fill in the water, put this bubbly thing in, get in and then you will be covered in bath foam and I won't see a thing. And you've already seen me naked before, so no need to panic." He gave her a playful wink.

"Would you feel comfortable doing that?" he asked.

Elena nodded shyly and Damon left the room to give her some privacy. When he returned, she was sitting quite relaxed in the tub, surrounded by an immense amount of foam.

He chuckled. "Did you use the whole bottle?"

"Almost." She smiled a cute, innocent smile.

He shook his head with a smirk on his face and quickly began to undress himself.

Elena couldn't help but let her gaze wander over his perfect body, and she took in his perfectly shaped upper body and his strong legs. Just as she was having a quick look at his package, Damon caught her gaze and grinned. She mentally cursed herself for being so obvious. How could his body be so flawlessly perfect?

"See anything you like?"

"Sorry," she laughed.

With an elegant move, Damon got into the bathtub.

"Turn around so that I can give you a massage."

She complied with his demand and moved so that she was sitting in front of him, her back facing his chest. Damon began to massage her shoulders with soft strokes and Elena felt herself relax immediately under his skilled hands. After a while she leaned back, her back lying against his chest. She was sitting in his lap, his legs sprawled out around her.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Thank you, Damon, that was amazing."

She needed a few minutes to get fully conscious again and only then did she notice his heavy gaze on her. She looked down at her body and saw that in her current position her breasts were perfectly visible. The way he looked at her made her feel dizzy and she could feel the butterflies return in her belly.

His hands rested on her neck, and she felt him slowly move them to her collarbone. He looked at her and she could see that he was silently asking for permission to continue. Her breathing quickened, and she nodded. His hands glided down her collarbone to her perfectly round breasts. Elena let out a soft moan when she felt his fingertips touch her peaks, drawing small circles on them. Her nipples hardened in an instant when Damon squeezed her peaks between his thumb and index finger, softly pinching her.

Elena had closed her eyes, but Damon could feel her heart pumping faster as he continued to massage her breasts. He was lost in the sensation of how sensitive her skin felt to his touch. His left hand slowly wandered to her belly, and further down until his hand cupped her sex while his other hand continued to massage her breast. In spite of the water he could feel how wet she was and his mind went blank at the thought of her arousal.

Elena gasped when she felt his hand between her legs, her eyes widening in surprise. She was already ridiculously close to her release and she felt like she was about to explode when Damon softly pushed her legs apart and immediately found the spot where she was craving his touch the most. She was panting now, and slowly moved her hip to his rhythm. She could feel his arousal pressing into her with every move, and hearing Damon gasp in her ear was the hottest thing she had ever heard in her whole life. She knew that she was about to come every second.

Her head was lying on his chest and her hands moved up to his neck, holding onto him for support. The change of position brought her closer to the surface, and Damon could see her sweet belly and the little stripe of pubic hair between her legs. He noticed that she was panting heavily now, and guessing that she was close to her release, he softly pushed one of his fingers inside her core. He could feel the shudder going through her and he watched her go over the edge as he put another finger inside her.

"Oh my god," she moaned loudly, biting her bottom lip. Her hands grabbed his hair at the back of his head as she hold onto him for dear life, spasming around his fingers. It took her a few minutes to come down from her high again. Damon stroked her head, his hands entwined in her hair and he leaned down to kiss her.

"This has got to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," he whispered in her ear.

For a moment, she was shocked by the compliment.

She felt like this was the moment she had feared and craved at the same time since the first time she had laid eyes on him, since the first time she had felt the connection between them. She felt like the choice had been made a long time ago, and that it was just a matter of time until she gave in. And in this moment, she wanted nothing more than to give in, to feel him, to be this close to him.

"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"Take me to bed." She stood up and Damon stared at her naked body in awe.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

With a confused expression on his face Damon got up, took the towel next to him and put it around her. He picked her up, clasping her against his naked body, and softly lay her down onto the bed.

"Are you tired? Do you want to sleep?" he asked nervously.

He couldn't believe he sounded so nervous, he had done this to so many women he had lost count, but with Elena he felt overwhelmed by his emotions, by the anticipation of what was to come.

Elena put her index finger on his lips. She softly shook her head and Damon took in a deep breath. His dreams were so close to coming true.

He bent over the bed, slowly crawling up and over her before he took her head in between his hands, kissing her passionately while his hands went down to her breasts, teasing her once again.

"I love kissing you, Elena."

Elena could feel the butterflies in her belly flutter when their tongues met, liquid desire pumping through her. His tongue played with her tongue and wandered over her bottom lip to her jaw.

"I love kissing you on your beautiful mouth."

His mouth glided down her neck, to her collarbone and he could notice Elena's breathing speed up when he reached her nipples.

"I love kissing your perfect breasts."

He looked up at her while he took one of her peaks in his mouth.

Elena let out a loud moan and his hardness twitched in response. He rolled on his side, Elena pressed up against him, and their tongues met again. Elena's hands went down his body and found his erection, and his heart missed a few beats when she began to stroke him.

She loved the expression on his face; his eyes were closed, his lips partly opened and he was panting deeply. His breathing grew harsher and harsher until she stopped, and Damon opened his eyes again.

"I love what you do to me," he panted.

"Damon." She looked him directly in the eyes. "I want you."

Her tongue played with his tongue once again. "I need you."

Elena looked at him and he saw a vulnerable expression on her face. He remembered that the last time she had spoken these words he had rejected her. But now things were different, and he wanted nothing more than to fulfill her wish, to make her his.

She softly bit his bottom lip. "Make love to me, Damon."

Damon gasped. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

He had to ask her one more time, before they did something she'd regret afterwards.

She leaned forward and her forehead touched his. "I'm sure," she whispered.

His hand went to his nightstand and he got out a condom. He quickly ripped the foil packet and rolled it on. He sat up and Elena climbed on his lap. Her entrance was so close to his cock he nearly came just thinking about it.

Elena kissed him passionately, her hands placed on his back. She brought herself into position, feeling his shaft at her entrance, and slowly pushed down.

Damon growled at the sensation and without taking her eyes of her, he sank into her in a deliciously slow pace.

"God, you feel so good."

He waited until he filled her completely before he thrusted into her for the first time. He couldn't believe he was inside her. Her walls were clenched around him and time stopped for a few moments. She felt so amazing in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily. She nodded, and began to slowly move up and down. Damon closed his eyes again and began to set up a matching ryhthm. He had never been in a more intimate position during sex. They were in their own world now; their foreheads touched and he was holding her in his embrace while they brought each other closer to the edge.

"Damon, I'm so close," she panted.

"Look at me. Open your eyes."

He got up on his knees and held Elena with one hand snaked around her waist, the other one grasping her hip, her legs wrapped around him. With a few more thrusts he brought her over the edge, and she collapsed in his arms.

"Damon."

She looked at him, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy, and it was all it took to make him find his release as well. He came loudly, spilling himself into the condom and calling out her name while he collapsed on top of her, his head buried in her neck. He took a deep breath before he rolled over to remove the condom.

Elena moved so that she was lying in Damon's arms again, her arms wrapped around him.

Damon was still blown away by the intensity of their first coupling. He had definitely had good sex before, no doubt, but none of it had ever been this emotional, this honest, this real. Not even with Katherine had he felt so connected to everything.

"You were amazing."

He kissed her nose and cuddled into her. After tonight, he knew that this was the place he wanted to be. Lying naked in her arms after having made love to her was the most incredible thing he had ever experienced. It was were he belonged.

Elena cupped his cheek, and kissed him softly on the lips.

"So, special night, huh," she teased him and couldn't help but giggle.

"I didn't plan on seducing you." He looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "I don't want you to think that."

"I know that." She nodded reassuringly. "I was joking."

"Good." He let out a sigh of relief.

"But it was pretty special, wasn't it? More than I'd have ever imagined in my wildest dreams," he added.

"It wasn't bad," she grinned.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. Exhausted," she admitted.

"Then I must have done something right, I guess." He was arching his eyebrows, smiling his typical one-sided smile.

"I'm not going to confirm that."

"Ah, here comes your concern for my ego again, right?" He rolled his eyes at her.

"Right," she laughed.

"So, how are you _really _feeling?"

She looked down and her gaze fell to her engagement ring.

"I don't know. I do feel guilty, if that's what you want to hear." She could feel the tense expression on his face without even looking at him.

"But somehow I was able to completely shut it out earlier. I didn't think, I just felt you," she confessed.

"I'm glad. Me too."

She kissed his earlob. "Damon, relax. I don't regret what happened tonight."

He gave her a long kiss on the neck. "You don't know how much that means to me."

"It just bugs me that Caroline was right. I can already hear her 'I told you so' speech," she laughed, but she could see Damon's thoughts were still somewhere else.

"Are you going to tell him?" He didn't need to say who he was talking about.

"Yes, of course."

He nodded. He was surprised to see her so relaxed after what had happened. Suddenly, he felt awkward, to say the least, and he wanted nothing more than to feel like on any other sleepover again.

"Do you want to watch a movie on the couch?" he asked.

She looked at him in surprise.

"Kung Fu Panda 2, for old times' sake?" he suggested and Elena nodded enthusiastically.

Only when he was sitting on the couch, one arm put around Elena's shoulder, did he get rid of the heavy feeling in his stomach. This evening would certainly change a lot between them, but at the end of the day, they would still be Damon and Elena.

* * *

**I've never written a scene like that before, so please tell me what you think of this chapter! :)**


	10. Charity Dinner

Thanks for all the subscriptions and reviews! :)**  
**

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 10: Charity Dinner

* * *

"Are you ready?"

Damon peeked into the bathroom and his jaw dropped to the floor at the sight in front of him. Elena was wearing a blue silk dress that perfectly accented her feminine shapes and to say she looked fabulous was an understatement. The back-free dress showed a lot of her soft, velvet skin and he felt desire rise up in him again. Would he ever be able to just look at her without feeling overwhelmed by the intense desire to make her his? He highly doubted it.

He had been really glad that Elena had agreed to accompany him to the charity dinner. He wanted to go because he liked doing something for charity, but these sort of events usually bored the hell out of him. Things had changed when Elena had told him that she would go with him and he now felt almost enthusiastic about going to the dinner. The idea of spending the evening with Elena excited him. When she had agreed to come to his apartment a little earlier to get ready together, his heart had jumped for joy. He was so grateful for every minute he got to spend with her.

"You're so beautiful."

His hands wandered over her body, his fingertips touching the soft silk fabric and feeling her skin shiver under his touch. Elena stopped doing her hair for a moment and just stood frozen, enjoying the amazing feeling of his touch on her naked skin. She felt currents running through her body when he teased her earlob with his tongue.

"What are you wearing under your dress?" he whispered in her ear seductively, pulling her body against his.

His arms embraced her from behind, his hands folded on her belly, and she could feel the effect she had on his body clearly noticeable against her backside.

"Maybe I'm going commando," she grinned. "You do it all the time, so perhaps I was inspired."

"I don't go commando that often. Just sometimes." He bit her earlob playfully. "And I know you like it, so stop with the judgy tone in your voice."

He bent down and lifted her dress up to look at her underwear. He didn't really believe she was going commando, but if there was the slightest chance of it, he'd have to check.

"Are you wearing stockings?" There was surprise in his voice, as well as hints of amazement and lust.

He tried to get hold of her so that he was able to get to look at her stockings, but she managed to escape his embrace, laughing at his shocked expression.

"Let me see!"

Elena smiled, gave him a soft push so that he was stumbling backwards, and quickly left the bathroom.

She could hear Damon's voice in the bathroom while she ran into his living room.

"You're going to regret that."

She made it to his couch before Damon caught her. Their bodies collided and they lost balance, falling down onto his couch. Damon used the moment to kiss her passionately, pressing her into the pillows beneath them. The tip of his tongue played with hers and soon he was breathing heavily, his eyes blazing.

"Stop torturing me and let me see your underwear," he gasped.

She looked down at him and grinned. She couldn't believe she had this effect on him. Every time he looked at her, his eyes glowing with passion, she was overwhelmed by their connection. One look at him and her knees weakened and the butterflies were stirring in her belly again. She liked to play with the effect she had on his body. They both liked teasing each other; it had quickly become a thing between them and it only intensified how much they wanted each other.

With a smirk on her face she lifted the lower part of her dress and let him see the new underwear she had bought for this event. Her panties were made of black silk and partly transparent, making her most intimate parts visible through the fabric.

Damon looked at her in complete awe.

"These are amazing, are they new?"

"Yes." She nodded and paused for a second to take in his intense gaze on her. "I bought them for you," she admitted shyly.

"Thank you, love. I adore them."

He gave her a long, intense kiss on the lips and Elena turned around, melting into his embrace. Her tongue found his and he was kissing her with such expertise she quickly had trouble breathing.

"How much time do we have left?" he groaned into the kiss.

His mouth went down to her belly, his tongue wandering to her thigh, slowly caressing her sensitive skin.

Elena moaned loudly when he softly bit her inner thigh. "We have to go, we're already late."

"Let's just stay here." He started to take off her panties with his mouth and he looked so incredibly sexy and sinful Elena almost caved.

"Damon, stop. I know the charity dinner is important to you." She had trouble getting the words out while Damon's tongue slowly wandered up her thigh.

"There are more important things."

His fingertips traced her stripe of pubic hair and before he could lower his mouth between her legs, Elena jumped up from the couch and began to get dressed again. She had to laugh at his disappointed expression.

"You're such a tease." He looked at the huge bulge in his pants.

"How am I supposed to get through this dinner? I'll think of nothing but your perfect legs, covered in these sexy silk stockings, and your transparent panties!" He went into the bathroom, cursing along the way.

Elena laughed again. She knew he was being overdramatic. She stood there for a moment, gazing outside the window and taking in the lights of the city before she followed him into the bathroom. She loved the view from his window, but with Damon around she was always distracted, so she used the chance to enjoy this moment. The sight she got in the bathroom was no less spectacular. Damon had put on a black suit, a white shirt and a bow tie. She had never seen anyone in a bow tie look this sexy before. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck.

"You look really beautiful yourself," she whispered in his ear. "Can't wait until tonight."

"I'm glad you say that," he smirked.

He looked up and saw their reflection in the mirror. He couldn't get over the fact how amazing they looked together. He kissed her hand and placed her palm in his.

"Let's go."

* * *

An hour later, they arrived at the mansion where the charity dinner took place. They walked into the main hall and Elena glimpsed the formally arranged tables and chairs. At the other side of the room was a big stage, where a string quartet played a soft melody, and a dance floor in front of it. They sat down at one of the tables and Elena took in the atmosphere they had created. Illuminated red hearts were hanging from the ceiling, symbolising the good cause of the dinner.

Damon's hands were playing with one of the paper hearts they had placed on the tables. Elena looked at him with an amused expression on her face, and he handed her the little heart, kissing her softly on the cheek. He smiled at her in such a genuine way her heart skipped a beat. She smiled back and he tapped her nose, cocking his eyebrows.

"I'll get us two glasses of wine, I'll be right back," Elena said and walked over to the white-suited servers.

"I'll miss you." Damon winked at her.

When she was standing at the bar she needed a moment to collect herself. Coming here as a couple was really different from anything they had ever experienced together, but she was enjoying herself immensely and she knew Damon felt the same way. Her head was spinning from how everything had changed so fast. They had only just added sex to their complicated friendship, and now this ... she took a deep breath. She had no reason to panic, she felt so comfortable around Damon she knew she'd be alright, no matter how many steps they took at once. She ordered their drinks and went back to their table where she saw a woman approaching Damon.

"Damon? I didn't know you were coming."

Andie threw her arms around his neck, hugging him from behind. She was pressing her breasts against his shoulders and Elena had to laugh at the uncomfortable expression on his face.

"Good to see you Andie," Damon looked up and nodded at her. He noticed Elena coming over in the next moment.

"Hi Andie," Elena smiled at her and in a possessive gesture that didn't escape Andie, she sat down on Damon's lap.

"Why didn't you call me back? I thought you promised to give me a booty call," Andie asked.

Damon wrapped his arms around Elena, hoping to send a clear signal.

"Sorry, I probably should've given you a call and told you." He paused. "I'm committed at the moment. Sorry."

Andie's eyes nearly fell out when she combined the intimate position they were in and the words he had just said.

"Oh, I thought ... never mind. I just hope you're happy." She smiled at him.

"I'm very happy," Damon responded and softly kissed Elena on the temple.

"Good. I'll see you around, enjoy the party." With these words Andie left, going over into the other room.

_Committed._

Elena's head was spinning and the butterflies in her belly were doing a happy dance. Once again, she was surprised by the intensity of her feelings - she hadn't realized just how deep she was in with him. She noticed she was staring at Damon for a while now and she could see him smirk.

"Elena?"

"Committed," she mumbled inarticulately and Damon pursed his lips, unable to hide his amusement.

"Yeah." He cupped her cheek in his hand.

"I know it's complicated, but I think 'committed' is a truthful description of my relationship status. Do you have any objections?"

"No." She gave him a wide smile. "I know I have no rights in that department, but it makes me incredibly happy that you see it that way."

She knew that they were in a public place and that their position was already inappropriate, but she just couldn't help herself. She leaned down and gave him a long kiss on the lips. Damon clasped her face in his hands, kissing her passionately. His hands were just about to wander down her body when he heard someone cough.

"Mister Salvatore. Sorry to interrupt, but it's time for your speech now."

* * *

"Elena, would you do me the honour of dancing with me?"

Damon held out his hand for her and winked at her promisingly. His eyes glinted in the soft light coming from the illuminated hearts above them.

"I would love to."

They joined the other couples spread out in front of the stage. Damon smiled at her and took her in his arms, whirling her around the dance floor. She loved dancing with Damon, it always remindered her of the first time they had gone out and danced together. Back then she was fighting the attraction that was between them, but now that she didn't have to pretend anymore, she could just enjoy the way he made her feel. Damon was such a talented dancer and he guided her around the dance floor with expertise. The music changed into a slower melody, and she put her head on his shoulder.

"There's something I wanted to ask you." She heard Damon whisper in her ear.

She cocked her head so that she was able to look at him.

"Yes?"

"I thought about going to the Dominican Republic for two weeks. I've planned on going for quite some time now, and I've already bought my ticket. But I would like you to accompany me - I would like to invite you." He looked at her expectantly.

She was shocked for a moment. He wanted to go on vacation with her?

"Just the two of us, relaxing on the beach, just doing what we want to do, being ourselves without the whole drama we're surrounded by here." He gave her a quick kiss on the neck.

"So, what do you say?" he said nervously.

"It sounds perfect." She put her arms around his neck and looked him deeply in the eyes. "And I would love to go with you."

The intonation in her voice told him that wasn't all she had to say. "But?"

"But, I just - can I get some time to think about it? I think I should talk to Jamie about this." She felt bad to break their happy bubble by mentioning Jamie, but she wasn't free and she couldn't make the decision on her own.

"Sure." He nodded, but he couldn't hide the disappointed expression on his face. He had secretly hoped that she wouldn't need the consent of her fiancé anymore, but apparently that didn't seem to be the case.

Elena's mobile beeped and she opened the new text message. She felt a flash of disappointment running through her as she read Jamie's message.

"Damon, can we go over there and talk for a second?" She removed her hands from his neck and they went over to one of the tables.

"What is it, love?"

"I can't stay with you tonight. Jamie texted me that he got sick. I should check up on him."

The smile on his face fell in an instant. "I see."

"I'm sorry."

He took Elena's hand and led her outside to his car.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to give you a lift home if that's alright." He was looking at the ground, pressing his lips together.

Elena was trying to figure out his current mood, but his face didn't allow any conclusions. He opened the door of his car for her and Elena slipped inside. Damon drove with a serious expression on his face and the atmosphere in the car was tense, to say the least. When they reached the corner of her street, he parked the car.

He didn't know what had come over him. Out of nowhere, he had got so angry at the whole situation they were in, he couldn't help himself. It hurt him that she would leave him tonight, that he would have to spend the night alone once again. The idea that she would be lying in bed next to Jamie, in the underwear she had bought for him made his stomach flip. He had tried to ignore the thought of them being intimate for a while now, but he couldn't get rid of the pictures in his head.

He understood why she wanted to check on Jamie, but he was getting increasingly upset about the whole situation. He had been feeling so happy when Elena had agreed to be his date tonight, he had dismissed reality for just a few hours - and the way the evening had ended had brought him down to earth with a bump again.

"Thank you for tonight, Damon. And I'm sorry, I was looking forward to spending the night with you, too," she said, unsure if that's what's got him in this mood.

He let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

"I know that."

He pulled her over onto his lap and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Sorry for my mood. I was just so disappointed for a few moments ... but I'm sure we can catch up on it some other time."

His fingertips touched her thigh and she felt goosebumps erupt on her skin again. He began to kiss her neck and Elena moaned at the contact. She cupped his face with both of her hands and kissed him with all she had. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, exploring and teasing him.

"Or I could take you right now." His mouth went to her ear. "Right here," he whispered seductively.

She felt a tingle going down her spine at his words.

"Damon," she moaned when he bit her neck playfully.

He began to work on the zipper of her dress and her dress fell down to her feet. He groaned loud in his throat when he saw her dressed only in her underwear and stockings.

"I can't wait until next Saturday," he panted through gritted teeth and pulled down her panties.

Elena had never had sex in a car before. She wasn't the kind of person who liked to have sex in a public place, but with Damon she was so lost in the moment she completely forgot her surroundings.

"Me neither."

Elena was unbuttoning the fly of his trousers when she heard the tear of foil.

Damon was leaning over her, rubbing his nose against hers. His eyes were closed and he entered her deliciously slowly. Elena gasped as he filled her completely. He gave her a moment to adjust to his size before he put his hands on her hip and lifted her up and down. Seeing Elena in nothing but her stockings made him feel dizzy from desire and he felt like he'd explode every minute.

They both knew they had to be quick and they set up a fast rhythm that brought them quickly to their much anticipated release. Damon moaned loudly when he found his, and Elena kissed him, absorbing his moans with her mouth. Hearing him come apart made Elena reach her climax as well and she came heavily, convulsing aroung him, his name on her breath.

Elena was panting while she was lying in his arms, her head buried in the crook of his neck. She hugged him tighter and clasped his face, kissing him gently.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening, Damon."

"Will you think about the vacation?" he whispered in her ear, his hands caressing her back.

"I will."

She nodded and moved to the passenger seat to get dressed again.

"Goodnight, Damon."

She kissed him on the lips and quickly left his car.

"Goodnight, love."

His eyes were shining, full of affection and love, but she could notice a trace of sadness, too.

* * *

After having taken a shower, Elena went into her bedroom and saw Jamie sleeping in their bed. She had to admit he looked pretty miserable and he was covered in sweat. She wiped his forehead with a towel and switched off the light. She couldn't do a lot for him now and it was probably best if she just let him sleep. She slipped under the covers with him, kissed him on the cheek and quickly fell asleep.

When she woke up again, Jamie was watching her from the other side of the bed.

"Creepy," she mumbled sleepily, a smirk on her face.

"Sorry, I was bored," Jamie chuckled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday, but still pretty bad."

"Can I get you anything? Would you like a cup of tea?" She smiled at him in pity.

"That would be perfect. Thank you, darling."

She nodded and went into the kitchen. She noticed her mobile on the kitchen counter and opened the new text message.

_"I have to know by tomorrow. Please say yes - Damon."_

She entered the bedroom again and saw Jamie checking his mobile as well.

"Did you know that Damon has a new girlfriend?"

"What are you talking about?"

"One of my colleagues texted me. Apparently, she looks a lot like you."

_Shit, the charity dinner. _

_"_Oh my god." Elena's hands flew to her mouth as realization hit her.

"Please don't make out with him in public, Elena. I don't want to be the laughingstock of the hospital who shares his fiancée with his new colleague."

"I'm sorry. It's not going to happen again, I promise."

"Good. I'm just glad my colleague wasn't clever enough to put 2 and 2 together."

"Yeah, me too," she nodded.

Jamie let his thumb wander over her cheek. "Sorry if that was rude, I'm just not feeling well today."

"No, I completely understand. That was thoughtless, and it's me who's sorry," Elena said.

"Don't worry." He reached out for her and pulled her into his embrace.

"Would you keep me company? I was so bored yesterday, just lying in bed all day."

"Sure," she smiled at him. She turned around so that she could face him and they lay there for a few moments, before Jamie broke the silence.

"So, what do you think of Lilian?"

"Who's Lilian?"

Jamie smiled at her. "I'm talking about potential names for our baby."

"Oh."

Elena's mouth fell open. She was so surprised by the change of topic, she almost choked on her tea. They hadn't had the baby conversation again since they had agreed to give it a try, but she had assumed that the Damon situation would have had an impact on Jamie's baby wish. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"I like it. I like most of the names starting with L. I like Laura, too, " Elena said after a while.

"I like that one, too." Jamie reached for a little paper on his nightdresser and wrote it down.

"What about Amy?"

Elena just nodded absentmindedly and he added it to his list.

"Which name do you like for a boy?"

"I haven't really thought about it, I don't know."

"Ben? Colin? David?"

"Yes to Ben and David, no to Colin."

"Okay." He started a separate list for boys and looked at her expectantly.

Elena felt like she had to address the elephant in the room.

"Jamie, I think we should postpone the whole baby thing until we have sorted things out with Damon." She could see the disappointment and hurt on his face.

"Do you not want to have children with me anymore?" Jamie tried to sound casual, but failed miserably.

"I do."

Relief flashed across his face.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Damon is the problem, Jamie. I told you it's gonna take some time for me to figure out how I feel for him. I thought we had agreed on that."

"I know that. I just thought, I don't know. It's been four weeks since you two have been seeing each other again, and I don't feel like it affected the way you feel for me. I was so afraid that it would change everything between us, but it didn't - I mean, at least I didn't really notice a difference. So maybe we could still - you know- try? You would still have a lot of time to figure things out between you two." He looked at her tensely.

Elena tried to process his words. She knew that this was what Jamie hoped for; that Damon and her would continue their exploration of feelings for a bit and after a while decide that they would be better off if they just went back to being friends again. She didn't know what to do. She had tried not to think too much about the situation over the last few weeks, but she felt so guilty doing what she was doing at the moment. She realized the cause of her guilt had changed. At the beginning she had felt terribly guilty because of what she was doing with Damon while her fiancé was working his night shifts. She still felt a bit guilty about that, of course, but somehow things had changed. At night, when she was lying next to Jamie, she couldn't help but feel guilty about what she was doing to Damon. Jamie had always liked being physically close with her; they cuddled a lot and he often held her hand while they were sleeping. She knew that he was her fiancé, but she still felt like she was doing something wrong and she knew that if Damon could see her in these moments, he'd definitely be hurt.

She shook her head at the situation she had got herself in. She still hadn't figured out what she wanted. She felt safe with Jamie, and she loved him, and the thought of starting a family with him made her feel good and comfortable. She wasn't frightened when she thought about her future with Jamie, she knew he would always be there for her and love her. With Damon, she didn't feel the same way. She didn't even know what exactly it was he felt for her. She knew that she was special and that she meant a lot to him, but he didn't believe in love anymore, he had told her so on the first night they had met.

But when she was with him, he just consumed her, and everything she felt was just so much more. It felt like her feelings switched to another dimension everytime she was around him. She had to admit that she had never been so in love as she was with Damon. She had never felt this alive, and she had never felt so sexy and confident with herself than when she was with him. All her emotions were intensified; when she was sad she was devastated, when she was happy she felt as if she wanted to hug the whole world, when she was in bed with him she felt as if her body exploded from desire and lust.

But it couldn't be a permanent thing, she didn't believe one could be this lucky to feel this way their whole life. So Jamie was probably right, it would last for a certain amount of time and then everything would collapse and things would change. Damon wasn't long-term material, he had told her that and he had never promised her anything else.

_"I'm committed at the moment."_

Her thoughts flashed back to what he had told her tonight. He probably wanted to tell her something, but what did it mean, exactly? She was so confused. She looked at Jamie and she could see that he was eagerly waiting for her response.

"I'm so overwhelmed by everything at the moment. I feel like I'm living two people's lives."

"I know that it must be confusing right now. But I promise you everything is going to be alright. Don't worry about it."

He kissed her nose and cuddled into her.

"It's just until you've figured out what there is between you two."

"Yeah, about that -"

"What?" Jamie looked up at her.

"Damon wants me to go on a short vacation with him. Two weeks, just me and him."

"Do you think it would help you figure things out?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Then do it." He nodded reassuringly.

"But there's one thing I want to ask you." He paused for a few seconds, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. He took a deep breath.

"I hope you're using protection. You are not on the pill anymore, are you?"

"Jamie ... " Elena buried her head in her pillow. This felt like the typical mother-daughter talk she had feared when she had been younger. Thinking about it, it actually felt worse. A lot worse.

"Yes, I know that," she mumbled into the pillow.

"Good, I'm glad."

Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes at the awkwardness.

"Sorry," Jamie laughed. "I didn't know how to phrase it without making you uncomfortable."

"It's alright, don't worry."

Later, when Jamie was sleeping again, Elena took her mobile and stared at the message she had written in the morning and that had been staying in her draft folder all day. She wanted to go on vacation with Damon, she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him, at a place where they could be themselves, a place where they would not have to care about anyone seeing or judging them.

A place that would hopefully help her make her decision. But what was most important, a place where she could act like she was feeling at the moment: completely and utterly in love with Damon.

She pressed send. _"Yes - Elena."_

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think of this chapter in a review! :)_  
_**


	11. Footprints in the Sand

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 11: Footprints in the Sand

* * *

"Damon, do you have sunscreen? I forgot to bring mine."

Elena was sitting on the floor of Damon's living room, her suitcase and various items spread around her. She had already packed her things at home, but she had bought a few things on the way to Damon's which she needed to put in there.

"You can use mine, don't worry."

She heard his voice in the bathroom. He came into the living room, barefoot and dressed in only a pair of flannel pants.

"Can I put some stuff in your suitcase? Mine's full."

"Yeah, sure."

Damon handed her some of his clothes and Elena put them in her suitcase.

She moved over to him and put her arms around his naked chest.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you like this a lot."

"What do you mean? Partly naked?" He winked at her, giving her one of his lopsided smiles.

She nodded shyly and kissed him a little above the collarbone.

"You see me naked every Saturday."

"Yeah, but that's on a weekly basis, I'm looking forward to a daily basis."

He smiled at her. "Me, too." He leaned into her, kissing her on the cheek.

"I think I have everything. Have you finished packing?"

"Yes."

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Then let's go to bed, we need to get up early."

He took her hand and led her into his bedroom. They quickly slipped under the covers, spooning each other. He took in the familiar smell of her neck and let out a content sigh. For the first time ever he would fall asleep knowing that she wouldn't leave tomorrow.

He wanted to tell her how he felt at the end of the vacation. He planned on telling her that he loved her and that she had changed all his intentions to never do love again. He wanted nothing more than to be in a serious relationship with her and he most certainly didn't want to continue sharing her with her fiancé. The fact that she had agreed to go on this vacation with him made him positive that she'd give him a real chance in this. He smiled and kissed her softly just behind her ear before he fell asleep, his arms wrapped around her.

* * *

A few hours later, after a very early flight to the Dominican Republic, Damon and Elena found themselves standing at the reception of their hotel.

"Welcome to the White Beach Resort. Your apartment isn't ready yet, but you can get a free welcome drink at the pool bar and spend the time there until it is ready. If you want."

"Yeah, sounds good," Damon said.

He gave Elena a genuine smile, putting one of his arms around her shoulder. Elena noticed that he seemed to be in a very relaxed mood since they had left his apartment.

"You can leave your suitcases in there." The receptionist gestured at a room just behind the reception.

"Perfect, thank you."

They linked arms and walked outside towards the pool bar. After Damon had picked up his welcome drink and Elena had ordered a glass of water, they placed their towels on two of the beach chairs.

Damon got rid of his t-shirt and his trousers, put on his sunglasses and took in the scenery in front of him. The pool was huge and there were a few wooden bridges that connected the different sides of it. It was a really spectacular view and he was absolutely positive that he would be able to relax here for a few days. To be able to spend this time with Elena was all he had ever hoped for.

He looked at her and noticed she was staring at him.

"What?" He cocked his head to the side.

"You look really hot in these shorts and sunglasses," she giggled and came over to sit on his beach chair.

"Let me rub sunscreen into your skin."

She spread the lotion on his back and let her hands glide further to his muscled chest. When she was all done, he stood up and sat down behind her.

"Thank you. Let me return the favor."

He massaged her velvet skin with skilfull strokes while placing kisses down her neck. When he was finished, he worked on her bikini clasp.

"You know, this bikini of yours is very distracting."

"Distracting you from what? You're not doing anything," she teased him.

"Distracting me from checking out the other women at the pool," he laughed and Elena pinched him in the side.

Time for a little payback. She pushed against his chest so that he was falling back into a horizontal position and sat down on his belly, kissing him passionately, claiming him. Her hands wandered down the side of his body before they disappeared in his shorts. Damon groaned when her hands reached their destination.

"You're mine." She softly bit his neck.

"I love hearing you say that," he gasped.

She gave him another kiss, removed her hands from his shorts and quickly settled into her own chair.

"I'll be reading a bit, hope you don't mind."

Elena giggled at the sight of Damon rolling on his stomach to cover the huge bulge in his shorts. She laughed again and pretended to start reading her book.

"Thanks, love."

* * *

A few hours later, Elena opened the door to their apartment. It was situated between palm trees, next to the long, white beach. She could hear the sounds of the ocean coming through the balcony door and she walked outside. Now she could not only hear, but see the ocean as well. She closed her eyes and drew in the amazing feeling of this place. No doubt this place was made for honeymoons. It felt like heaven, like paradise. It was beautiful and she was looking forward to spending their evenings in this romantic setting.

The apartment wasn't huge, but really cozy. The idea of spending two weeks with Damon in their own little world made her smile. She went in again and blushed at the sight of the huge bed that was placed in the center of the room.

She jumped onto the bed and put her arms around herself. She saw Damon enter the room, carrying their suitcases, and he laughed at the sight of her.

"Tell me that you love it here as much as I do," she said, rolling around on the huge bed.

"Only if you jump me like you jumped that bed," he smirked at her.

"With pleasure."

She got up quickly and ran to him, hugging him so fiercely that he stumbled backwards a few meters. Her hands caressed his back and she hugged him tighter, letting her hands wander under his shirt.

"Okay, you convinced me." He tapped her nose. "I love it here."

"Thank you for bringing me here, Damon. It's beautiful."

His thumb caressed her cheek and he kissed her softly on her mouth. "It is."

He was relieved to see that she was so enthusiastic about this vacation. He had had his doubts because they had never spent more than one night together, but he was excited to be with her for a longer period of time. So far, it didn't look like she was missing anything, or anyone.

"So what do you want to do? Shall we unpack our things and have dinner?"

Elena nodded enthusiastically and he gave her another kiss. His hand came up to cover hers, locking their fingers and caressing her skin with the pad of his thumb. He stroked her cheek with his fingers, slowly gliding down to her neck. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, slowly capturing her lip between his own. He was panting heavily when they broke the kiss.

"Let's continue this later," he said seductively while looking at her intensely and the butterflies in her belly returned.

She leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching and drew in the smell of him.

"Yes, later."

* * *

Their dinner table was placed on the balcony of the little restaurant. There was a warm breeze in the air and you could see the turquoise blue ocean, the view only partly covered by a few palm trees.

The waitress came over, handing them the menu. "Can I get you two anything to drink?" she asked.

"I'll have a glass of white wine, please," Damon replied.

"And for you, Mrs. Salvatore?" Elena was so irritated for a moment she forgot what she wanted to order.

"Just a coke, thanks," she got out eventually.

"Since when are you such a fan of soft drinks?" Damon tried to use the moment of her distraction to switch the topic.

"I just feel like having one," she replied and he could tell by her voice that she wouldn't let this go. "Mrs. Salvatore?" She arched her eyebrows.

"Er, yeah, about that."

He coughed, trying to hide his giggles.

"I got a little carried away when I booked the apartment. I probably should've mentioned it earlier."

He hoped she wouldn't be angry with him. When he had booked it he had thought it was funny, but given the fact that she actually _was_ engaged and that they had never talked about the Jamie situation, he wasn't sure if his sense of humour was appropriate.

She gave him a pointed look. "So these people think we're on our honeymoon?" she asked, and it sounded like a rhetorical question.

"Yeah, probably," he smirked at her, relieved that she hadn't left the table yet.

Elena shook her head in amusement. "You never cease to surprise me."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He frowned his eyebrows.

"I'm still undecided."

His eyebrows fell in disappointment and Elena laughed at his pouty face.

"It's a sweet gesture, even though completely inappropriate." She leaned forward to kiss him.

"I'm sorry." He took a strand of her hair between his fingers and began to play with it.

"So, does my beloved husband have any plans for tonight?"

He knew she was mocking him, but the words sent tingles down his spine.

"I thought we could go for a walk on the beach? It's beautiful at that time of the day."

She placed her hand in his and nodded. "Yes, I would love that."

* * *

After they had finished their dinner, they walked down the beach barefoot, his arms wrapped tightly around her. After a while, they reached the cliffs they had seen from their balcony which covered the view to the other side of the beach. They climbed over the rocks and sat down at the little bay that lay behind them. Damon placed his towel on the ground and they sat down, taking in the beautiful red sunset over the ocean.

Elena sat in front of him and Damon put his arms around her, his hands folded on her belly. They stayed like this for a few minutes, looking out at the beach, before Elena interrupted his thoughts.

"Do you miss her sometimes?" She turned her head to be able to look at him and Damon could see her tense up.

"Who are you talking about?"

"I was just thinking about this situation, going on vacation together, everyone treating us as if we're on our honeymoon ... do you sometimes think about it, how it would have been with Katherine?"

"No, I don't. Not anymore."

Elena nodded. He didn't know where she was going with this, but he somehow felt like he needed to reassure her.

"I haven't been thinking about her for a very long time. My mind is too occupied with other things. Other people." He bit her ear playfully and pulled her closer into his embrace.

"What other people?" She smirked at him.

"Ah, you know, the really cute 19-years-old intern at work, the sexy receptionist, the waitress who served us dinner earlier ..."

Elena pinched him in the side. "So, cute intern, huh?" She turned around in his embrace so that she was facing him and pouted her lips together.

"Yeah. The whole hospital is talking about her, she's ... something."

He looked at her and had to laugh at her displeased expression.

"Don't worry. She's cute, but not my type."

He could see a flash of relief on her face. He stared out at the sea and gathered all his courage.

"My heart lies with someone else." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. He cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned down to give her a soft kiss on the lips, and Elena's mind went blank.

_Did he just say what she thought he said? Did he mean ... God, she was so confused._

Her breathing quickened and she kissed him back with equal tenderness, caressing his lips with hers, entwining her tongue with his. She snuggled up closer to him and kissed him more passionately.

When they broke the kiss, Damon was panting heavily.

"What you do to me."

His nose touched hers and he gave her another kiss on the lips.

Elena knew that he was expecting some kind of reaction, but she was too overwhelmed by her feelings to ask him what he had meant exactly. She was too much of a coward right now to do it, so she just hugged him tighter, putting her head in the crook of his neck. She kissed him on the soft spot just behind his ear which she had discovered a few weeks earlier. She felt goosebumps erupt on his skin and she grinned, knowing that it still had the same effect on him.

"You little tease," he gasped. "I think I know what you need right now," he whispered in her ear.

"Do you?" she laughed at the sexual innuendo.

He nodded, took her hand and led her to the pool. They shared a private pool with a few other apartments, but there was no one around anymore and most of the guests would arrive only tomorrow. Damon undressed and put his clothes on one of the deck chairs.

"Damon, what if someone sees?"

He ignored her, working on the zipper of her dress. He let the dress fall to the floor and took in a deep breath when he saw her standing in the blue light of the pool in nothing but her underwear.

"I'm not going in there naked, forget it!"

"Come on, Elena, live a little."

"You already got me into dancing again, we had sex in your car - I think that's enough for a change right now."

Damon stood in front of her, gloriously naked, and just shrugged.

"Your decision."

He dived into the pool and when he came up again, his hair was dripping from the water and he looked incredibly sexy.

"Damn you."

She took off her bra and her panties and followed him quietly into the water.

The water was pleasantly warm, but somehow still refreshing. Damon was leaning against the edge of the pool, his beautiful skin glowing in the night. She swam up to him and leaned against him, her back facing his chest. The water was splashing around them as Damon wrapped his arms around her from behind. She looked at the stars above and enjoyed the romantic moment she was having with him.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the warm water had soothed her nerves and she felt brave enough to turn around, putting her arms around his neck. Their bodies were pressed up against each other and she could feel his hip on hers, his hardness against her belly, her breasts touching his chest.

She had never been skinny-dipping before and the feeling of the water on her naked skin excited her. Having Damon so close to her was such an overwhelming feeling she was able to forget her surroundings completely. Her hands wandered down his shoulders, over his back to his buttocks, her fingertips dancing over his soft skin. Damon had closed his eyes and was clearly enjoying this secret, erotic moment they were sharing.

"This feels amazing," she whispered against his skin.

She wrapped her legs around his hip and stroked down his back. She felt his head fall into her shoulder as she dragged her nails back up his belly and chest. Their lips molded together when she pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

"I want to feel you."

Damon opened his eyes again and she could see that they were black from lust.

"I want to feel every inch of your body, I want to feel your skin on my skin, and I don't want to rush."

"Then let's get out of here."

He nodded and they quickly swam to the other side of the pool. After they had got out, he wrapped her up in a towel and picked her up, carrying her in his arms. They reached their apartment, still dripping with water, and Damon lay her down onto the bed.

He still couldn't believe that she had agreed to this, that they would have two weeks just for themselves. He looked down at her naked body, letting reality sink in for a moment, and captured her lips with his again.

Elena broke the kiss and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Mr. Salvatore - I hope you're planning on making this first night of our honeymoon an unforgettable experience."

His mouth wandered over her breast to her belly and further down to where she desired him the most.

"I promise."

* * *

**A/N:** I admit that was borderline cheesy, but I think they deserved a happy chapter. Hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading and please review! :)


	12. The Calm

Thank you for all the reviews. I love reading each one of them and they really motivate me to continue writing!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 12: The Calm ...

* * *

Elena was standing on the wide sidewalk that was lined with palm trees, having a look at the sunglasses they sold in the small shop to her left. She could see Damon inside of it and gave him a little wave.

The last few days had been sensational. There had not been one moment where she had wanted to be at any other place, not one moment where she had been bored or felt uncomfortable. Damon had the great ability to know how she was feeling, and he knew exactly what to do if she was feeling a bit down. He always knew when his goofing around made her feel better or when she was in need of a more serious conversation. And he said the most romantic things without expecting any kind of reaction from her, simply because he felt that way in that moment. His reactions were almost so honest, so real. He was incredible.

"Are you daydreaming again?"

She felt him wrap his arms around her from behind.

"Ah, you've got me there," she grinned.

She took one of the red, heart-shaped sunglasses from the display stand in front of her and put them on.

"Arent they cute? I'm tempted to buy them." She posed, putting her hand on her hip and giving him a flirtatious look.

"What are you, twelve?"

She giggled.

"I need money, do we have some left?"

She walked up behind him and began to fumble in the pocket of his shorts.

"I'll be right back."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips and disappeared into the shop.

Damon looked at her through the window. If he hadn't been convinced to take things to the next step before the vacation, he would have been now. He had never felt so good around another person. He couldn't tell what he loved more, spending the nights cuddled up against her, showing her his love in every way possible, or the days they spent together, walking hand in hand at the beach, fooling around and having fun. He was more positive now than ever that she would see it the same way and that there was a chance for them to take things further.

Elena suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Now look who's daydreaming."

He clasped her face in his hands, his forehead touching hers.

"It's this place," he whispered, his breath fanning against her skin.

He leaned down to kiss her, his tongue sneaking into her mouth and tangling with hers, and her head began to spin.

"We'll never make it to the beach if we stop at every little shop and kiss like that."

"There are worse ways to spend the day," he chuckled, and it was such a relaxed sound she just wanted to hug him and kiss him again, and again, until she noticed that the people around her were looking at them disapprovingly.

"We can't keep doing that, people are staring."

Damon took her hand in his and they continued walking down the alley.

"Then let's go over to the next shop."

* * *

"So how are you doing?" Elena could hear Caroline's voice through the speaker.

They were back in their apartment again and Elena was lying on the bed, talking to Caroline on the phone. She was wearing nothing but her bikini and a cardigan wrapped loosely around her. Damon had got rid of his wet swim trunks and hadn't bothered to put anything on. Apparently he was reading a book, his head placed on her belly, but Elena thought that was just an excuse to be this close to her. Sometimes he was just so incredibly cute.

She tousled his hair, giving him a genuine smile.

"Perfect. We're in paradise here."

"That's good to hear. How is Mr. 'I don't like committed relationships' handling the commitment?"

"I can hear you, blondie," Damon said, turning his head to speak in Elena's direction.

He looked at her and she felt it in that moment, that this was the one thing that really stood between them: the first talk they'd had in her kitchen, where Damon had told her that he didn't believe in love. This moment where they had connected for the very first time was also the moment that now stood between them.

Elena hadn't had time to tell Caroline about the charity dinner and Damon's confession that he considered himself committed. And she couldn't tell her now, with Damon lying on her stomach and all.

"He's good. He's forcing me to go dancing tonight."

"Well, sounds like you two are having fun."

"We are," she said quietly.

"I'm glad, you deserve it. I have to go, Stefan just got home. Talk to you soon!"

Elena put the cell phone on the little table next to the bed.

"So, how are things at home?" Damon looked up at her.

"Good," she said evasively.

"Are we going to talk about it at some point?"

She didn't know what he was talking about exactly. Maybe he was talking about the 'I don't like committed relationship' thing that was hanging in the air or maybe about the Jamie situation. It didn't really matter because all these things were connected to each other. She knew he wanted to talk to her about the situation at home, he had tried to mention the topic a few times and she had always evaded the question. She knew that he was thinking about how things would be when they went home again, and now with only a couple of days left, she could understand why he was pushing the topic.

"Yes."

"At the end of the vacation?"

"Okay."

She didn't know what she was going to tell him. One thing had become perfectly obvious during the last few days: she wasn't just in love with Damon. She loved him. She couldn't imagine her life without him anymore. She had never thought she'd be saying this cheesy line some time, but she really felt that he was the one to complete her. They didn't just get along on their weekly sleepovers, the vacation had shown that they got along perfectly for a longer period of time as well. And what an amazingly intense time it had been.

They couldn't just continue seeing each other like before, so much was clear. She realized that this was the first time she ever considered breaking up with Jamie, the first time she ever allowed the thought to invade her mind. She hadn't missed him very much, she had to admit, but the thought of breaking up with him still hurt her deeply. She couldn't hurt him, he didn't deserve the horrible way she was treating him. He was the loveliest man she had ever met and she still loved him so much, she loved his personality, his calm way of dealing with things, his selflessness and the fact that he cared so much about her. He was still her home, her calm anchor that gave her stable surroundings. She just didn't know if that was enough anymore.

Damon cuddled into her, wrapping his arms around her, and lay his head down on her shoulder.

"You tell me when you're ready, okay? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

* * *

When it was beginning to get dark they walked down the small path that led to the beach, her hand placed in his. It reminded her of the first night they'd gone out together. Damon was wearing the outfit he had worn that night; black leather pants, a grey shirt and his typical boots that fit him so well. She knew she'd get disapproving looks from the other women again tonight.

Their vacation was slowly coming to an end and Damon felt like they needed to have one night where they could loosen up and just enjoy themselves. Not that they didn't enjoy themselves on the other nights, on the contrary, but he knew that Elena loved dancing and although she always needed to be convinced at first, he knew she'd be glad to be able to experience a fun and light-hearted night.

And he just really wanted to dance with her again. The night where he had convinced her into going out the first time after her parents had died had been one of the best nights in his life. There had been so much tension crackling in the air between them, he still wondered how he had managed to constrain himself. This time he had no intention of holding anything back. They could dance all night teasing each other, and he'd be perfectly okay with it knowing that their apartment would be just around the corner.

The beach bar had a few tables situated between palm trees and a small dance floor between the bar and the beach. Multi coloured lights where illuminating the dance floor and a few couples were already dancing to the latin music.

They sat down at one of the small tables, looking out at the sea.

"I'm going to miss this. I can't believe we only have three days left."

This was why Elena normally didn't like vacation like this. She usually spent the first days trying to get used to the place and the rest of the days thinking about the day they'd have to leave again. This time, she had loved the place from the beginning, but the fact that their little break was coming to an end made her incredibly sad. She'd miss spending the days and evenings with Damon and she'd definitely miss spending the nights with him. It was the first time she really felt this gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach and she was trying to fight the tears from falling. She would miss him so much.

"We could always come back."

"Yeah, I guess." She nodded, but she couldn't prevent the single tear from rolling down her cheek.

"Elena, now's not the time to be sad." His thumb caressed her cheek.

"We can have great moments at home, too." He winked at her. "I promise."

Elena was truly surprised at how positive he had been over the last few days. She smiled at him and the sadness left her face as quickly as it had appeared.

"And now I would like to dance with you."

He got up and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. He spun her around so that her back was to him and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Do you remember the last time we danced liked this?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes. That was one of the few times I've seen you speechless." She paused, recalling the evening.

"After I had told the waitress that my boyfriend was a little shy in public." She giggled at the memory.

"I wanted to take you against the wall and kiss you senseless for that comment."

He bit her ear playfully, pulling her closer to his body until she was pressed along the length of him.

"I remember how you ground yourself against me."

His hands slid down her waist to her buttocks and he yanked her against him.

"How you bumped your hip against the bulge in my pants."

His hip made a slight movement and she could feel his hardness pressing against her back.

"How you placed a soft kiss on my neck." '

She could feel his tongue on her neck.

Having Damon whisper these things into her ear sent tingles down her spine and although she knew he was just trying to tease her by showing her how much she had tortured him, she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

The music changed into a faster rhythm and Elena felt disappointed that their erotic moment had ended so fast.

"Let's continue this later."

His words made her smile. She knew he never made hollow promises. He spun her around so that she was facing him, took both of her hands in his and twirled her around to the music. This kind of dancing was less erotic, but no less sensual and fun. Damon directed her smoothly from one movement into the other and she let herself go completely. She didn't think about the right steps, she just moved intuitively and let Damon guide her body.

* * *

Two hours later, Elena was sitting on Damon's lap feeling positively exhausted, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Elena was relieved that Damon had convinced her to go with him. She didn't know if it was Damon, or the dancing, or the combination of both that made her feel so comfortable that she could completely shut out the other people and simply enjoy the way their bodies were in complete sync with each other.

They hadn't said anything for the last few minutes and just sat there, looking out at the sea.

"May I ask how long you two have been together?" A blonde woman sitting next to them interrupted their peaceful moment.

"You look so in love," she continued.

Elena blushed, trying to evade Damon's gaze.

"We've only met a few months ago."

Damon put his head on Elena's shoulder and smiled at her so intensely Elena thought she'd get lost in his gaze.

"Really? I could have sworn that was an engagement ring on your finger. Guess I was wrong." The woman shrugged her shoulders.

Elena looked at the ground, clearly uncomfortable with the change of topic.

"I am going to get another drink, would you like to have something?" Damon softly pushed her off his lap and stood up.

She was surprised that he didn't get angry or at least irritated by the comment. How could he be so calm about this?

"A glass of water, please."

"I'll be right back." He kissed her on the lips and went over to the bar.

"You have to taste the strawberry margaritas, they are incredibly good."

The blonde gestured at the cocktail in front of her.

"I'm not drinking at the moment."

"Why is that?" the woman asked curiously.

Elena mentally cursed herself for having said it, but then again, she hadn't expected this reaction. She would never ask a complete stranger something so personal. She could be an alcoholic or having a deadly illness with the medication incompatible with alcohol or something like that. What were people thinking when they asked things like that? She had evaded Damon's questions concerning her new obsession with soft drinks the whole week, she didn't feel like lying anymore. She didn't know the woman after all, so who cared what she thought of her.

"I'm trying for a baby. I don't want to take any risks."

She heard the sound of breaking glass and turned around to see Damon standing right behind her.

"You're _**what**_?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	13. before the Storm

Thank you for all your reviews! I'll reply to them tonight! :)

I got a lot of mixed reactions to the last chapter ... maybe this one will answer some of your questions.

* * *

**The Weekend Deal  
**

Chapter 13: ... before the Storm

* * *

"You're **_what?_**"

His jaw dropped to the floor and he looked at her incredulously.

She could see a range of emotions crossing his face. Disbelief was followed by a flood of hurt which quickly turned into anger. After a few moments he closed his mouth, turned around and stormed off to the beach, into the night that appeared to be blacker than ever.

Elena needed a few breaths to recover herself from the shock before she got up to follow him. She could only imagine which horrible conclusions he would draw from her statement. She had to make it right, she had to explain it to him, explain that things weren't as they seemed. She just hoped it wasn't too late already.

"Excuse me," she said with a shaky voice, not even bothering to look at the woman.

She couldn't think about anything else than Damon and how he must be feeling right now. She saw him walking along the beach, to the bay behind the cliffs. Taking off her heels she began to run as fast as she could to catch up with him. She found him sitting between the rocks staring out at the sea, and she sat down beside him trying to catch her breath.

"Look, it's not as it seems. You have to let me -"

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he cut her off, his eyes blazing with anger, boring into her.

She hadn't seen him this angry before. She realized she had never seen his angry side at all, apart from the first night they'd gone out together, but back then he had been more overwhelmed than angry. This time, she could feel the hurt and anger radiating from him, directed towards her with an intensity that frightened her.

This wasn't a good start. She had to explain it, this was the only chance they had to prevent this vacation from ending in a total disaster. She had just realized she loved him, she couldn't lose him now. Not before she'd even had the chance to tell him about her feelings.

"Please, Damon."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I wanted to, I just didn't know how to tell you."

"So you could be pregnant?" He didn't let her answer. "We're here, pretending to be all lovey-dovey while you could be pregnant."

"I'm not pretending. And it's not likely, I haven't slept with -"

"I don't want to hear it," he cut her off again, pressing his lips together in a grim line.

His hand combed through his hair. "This is so fucked up."

He stood up abruptly and Elena followed him, placing her hand on his arm to stop him from leaving, but he pushed her away roughly.

"Don't. you. dare. touch me," he hissed through gritted teeth and turned around to walk off to where he'd come from.

"Damon, please don't leave. Let me explain."

He whirled around and closed the distance between them, stopping a breath away from her.

The wind was getting stronger, blowing around them, cooling the warm air. The water came closer as the waves were getting higher, the surge creating a menacing sound that accentuated this defining moment between them.

"What is there to explain? I'm in love with a woman who's trying to have someone else's baby. I really don't think there's anything you could say that would make me feel better."

"I'm not trying to have someone else's baby, please, would you just let me explain?"

And then something clicked in her head and she recalled the words he'd just said. The weight of his words hit her like a tidal wave, drowning her. She had to know if there was a chance that he was feeling like her.

"You're in love with me?"

"Yeah, like that isn't completely obvious." He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.

"You told me you would never be in love again."

"Really, Elena?"

"I didn't realize. You never told me."

"I tried to tell you. And it's not like it's going to change anything. You're still happily engaged, and after this vacation you're just going back to your fiancé like nothing happened. And if you're pregnant, then that just tops it off."

He kicked the sand in front of him. He was fighting to contain his emotions and he was obviously losing the battle. She wanted to object because it wasn't true, but he held up his hand to signal he wasn't finished with his speech.

"Going on this trip, holding each other at night, walking hand in hand at the beach - I really thought you'd give me a real chance in this. What am I to you? An affair? Someone to entertain you when your fiancé's not around?"

"No you're not Damon, and you know it."

"Then what am I? Tell me what part I am going to have in your perfect family life!"

She averted her gaze.

"Tell me!" he shouted. He had never raised his voice before.

"Damon, you need to calm down and let me explain." She tried to touch his shoulder, but he pulled away once again.

He shook his head in disbelief and sat down on the rock again, his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to, I promise."

She kneeled down in front of him, but she didn't dare to put her hand on his knee. All she wanted was for him to get rid of that horrible feeling she knew was pumping through his veins and to take him into her arms and comfort him, but she knew he wouldn't let her at the moment.

"Right." Damon let out an ironic snort. "So I was just hallucinating that you want to have his child?"

"When you and I met, I wanted to have children with him. I knew he really wanted them and I've always wanted kids, I just wasn't sure if I was ready yet because of the way the accident had affected me. I'm not just talking about the nightmares, I just wasn't myself. But then you came into my life and I was slowly turning back into the old Elena who enjoyed life instead of being afraid of it. Jamie noticed the change in me, he asked me if I was ready and we agreed to give it a try ... because that was my vision for the future I had always wanted for me: having a loving husband, and children, just being a normal family."

"Aww, how sweet," he said sarcastically. "Look, this is really heartwarming and all, but I think I'll just -"

"I haven't finished."

"Then I got to know you better and better and all these things I had planned out for me were called into question, and I wasn't ready to let them go yet. I told him I wanted to wait until we've sorted things out with you, but somehow it just got shrugged off."

Damon arched his eyebrows, but she continued before he could interrupt her.

"But I'm not trying to find excuses. I should've been strong and told him that this was not what I wanted anymore. But I wasn't, because I didn't know what it was I was feeling for you, and what you were feeling for me, and I was so afraid of the change it would bring. I should've told him, I'm terribly sorry."

She sat down beside him, fighting the urge to take his hand in hers.

"I don't want to be weak anymore. I want to let the old Elena go for good."

He looked up at her and Elena saw his eyes soften just a tiny bit.

"So you wanted to try for a baby, but you don't anymore, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

He nodded.

She gathered all her courage and spoke with a quiet, but determined voice.

"I'm in love with you, too."

"Elena, don't." He looked at her intensely, his eyes pleading her to stop.

"Don't say that just to make me feel better," he whispered, his voice giving away how vulnerable and hurt he still was.

He couldn't take much more tonight. There was only so much hurt he could take and he knew he was already dangerously close to losing it. He looked at the ground, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Damon, look at me."

After a moment, he looked up at her.

"I am not. I've been feeling like this since the first time you kissed me at the fountain." Elena paused.

"I've never felt like this before," she continued.

She cupped his cheek and paused for a few seconds to see if he'd still push her away. He didn't.

"When I'm with you, it just consumes me. I feel like I've known you my whole life, we have this deep understanding of each other and yet in every second I spend with you I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with you. Every touch sets my body on fire ... I'm so frightened by it, by what it could mean. It's so much more than anything I've ever felt before." She took a deep breath.

"I am in love with you, Damon. Very much so." She traced his face with her fingertips and Damon closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

When he opened them again Elena felt like this was the first time in their conversation he was allowing himself to really look at her. He was still wearing a serious expression and the hurt was still visible on his face, but he didn't seem to be mad anymore.

"Let's walk for a bit."

He got up again, offered her his hand and they walked along the beach, watching the huge waves build up and collapse again.

"I'll give you the time you need to explain, Elena. But I want you to be honest and tell me what exactly it is you're feeling for me, as I will be honest with you and tell you everything I've been holding back so far. Then we'll see if there's a future for us or not, and if there is, a lot of things will have to change."

He was just about to start when Elena interrupted him.

"Let me. I'm the one who needs to make things alright."

"Okay." He gave her a slight smile.

"I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. Not just today, even before the vacation. I should've never agreed to this horrible arrangement."

"I agreed, too, that's not your fault."

"Yes, but you knew it was a bad idea right from the start. I was just so happy that you were back in my life, I didn't think straight. I'm so sorry. I wanted to give you a real chance in this. I wasn't exactly sure what it was I was feeling for you before this vacation. I mean, we were seeing each other once a week and the Saturdays couldn't have been better or more emotional, but one day a week isn't exactly a basis for a relationship. So I was hoping to figure it out here. I did give you a chance, and it exceeded all my expectations. _You_ exceeded all my expectations. I think I would've realized it sooner if I hadn't tried to ignore it for so long. Every time I let myself consider the possibility that we could be more, every time I let myself acknowledge the fact that I was falling in love with you, our conversation in the kitchen came into my mind, smashing my hopes and dreams."

"I never wanted to fall in love again Elena, I wasn't lying or being dramatic when I told you that," Damon interrupted her.

"Katherine had destroyed something in me I never thought I'd find again." He paused for a moment. "But then you came into my life and you just changed everything. I've been so afraid to love again, so afraid to get hurt again, but with you I just cannot fight it. You're the only one who could ever make me want to love again."

He gave her a genuine smile. "I love you, Elena."

She could feel her heart ramming loudly against her ribcage as the meaning of his words sank into her mind.

"When I'm with you, everything just feels so right. I'm the happiest person in the world just sitting on the couch talking to you, or cooking for you - just knowing that you're in my life makes me incredibly happy."

"But I don't want to do this anymore. I'm no Jamie, I don't want to share the person I love. I don't want to love someone who lives with another man. You have to make a decision, you have to choose. You can go back to your fiancé, marry him and have children with him. If that's what makes you happy then I want you to do it. But I can't be in your life then. We can't continue doing this if you decide to start a family with him, Elena. It's not fair to me and you know it."

"I know that."

He paused again and the vulnerability returned in his voice.

"Or you can choose me. We can travel the world if you like. We can buy a house on the countryside and have as many kids as you like."

He hadn't thought about having children since Katherine had left him because it had always reminded him of her, the image of them as a family plaguing his mind. But he hadn't given her one thought over the last six month and he realized there was no strange feeling at all when he thought about it now.

"You can have your own flat and visit me every Saturday and we'll continue our sleepovers until we're 90. I don't really care, as long as it is with you," he added.

"You can either have all of me - and I promise you, I will hold nothing back. I will love you with all my heart, all my soul - or none of me. It's your decision. But I can't wait any longer. I'm sorry, I just can't."

"I'm so afraid," she whispered.

"Don't be. Just tell me how you're feeling."

"I want to be with you."

It felt like time stopped for a moment.

All the anxiety left him as he took her in his arms and pulled her against him. His forehead touched hers and he cocked his head to the side, leaning against her, his nose touching hers, taking in the smell of her.

Her hand came up to cup his face, caressing his skin with the pad of her thumb. Locking their fingers, he looked her directly in the eyes and Elena allowed herself to acknowledge what was in his gaze for the very first time: love.

She brought herself closer to him and their lips brushed gently. Damon was pressing his lips softly against hers and Elena's eyes fluttered shut, enjoying this wonderful, emotional moment they were sharing. They had shared so many kisses and yet this felt like she was kissing him for the first time. It was the first kiss where both of them realized that they loved each other and that they wanted more, and her heart felt like it would explode in her chest.

"Damon." It was a whisper, a moan, a quiet affirmation that she wanted him more than anything else.

He yanked her against him, kissing her passionately, pouring all his suppressed emotions into the kiss. She returned his kiss fiercely, clinging to him like her life depended on it. A few moments earlier she had feared the worst, she had been this close to losing him, and she could feel it in the way he was kissing her that he was thinking the same.

They stumbled backwards and fell down into the sand. Damon sat up to be able to look at her, tracing her beautiful face with his fingers. He let his fingers glide further down to the strap of her dress, slowly pulling it down. Elena reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head before she unzipped his leather pants and started tugging them down. Damon slowly crawled up over her, taking in her naked body in the sand.

The wind was getting stronger and Elena noticed that the water was coming closer and closer. Every now and again, she could feel the cold water splashing around her legs, but she didn't care. They were lying here, completely stripped off their clothes, and the wet sand was cold beneath her, but all she felt was the pleasant feeling of the sand massaging the skin of her back and Damon's hands on her body, bringing back the butterflies in her belly.

He kissed her again, his tongue playing with hers, wandering over her bottom lip to her jaw. Her breathing sped up and they rolled on the side, her legs wrapped around him. He was hovering above her and she could feel his hardness pressing against her thigh. He got up on his elbows, slowly bringing himself into position until he could feel her wetness against the tip of his member.

He looked her directly into the eyes while slowly sinking into her.

"I love you," he repeated. He couldn't find the words for how intimate this felt. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I love you, too," Elena whispered, and with a single thrust he filled her completely.

His gaze fell on her engagement ring and he took it off, putting it on the little rock next to their clothes. He grabbed her wrists, placed them above her head and entwined her hands with his while he was thrusting into her in a steady rhythm.

Damon rolled her around in the sand, changing position so that Elena was lying on top of him, letting her take control for a few minutes before he moved to lie on top of her again. It didn't take long until she was trembling beneath him and desire exploded in her.

"Damon."

She started spasming around him, pulling him with her, and he came violently, letting out a loud moan in which he let go of all the heartbreak, all the pain he'd felt. He buried his head in her neck and Elena held him for a few minutes, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

"I love you," Elena whispered again, pressing him against her chest, her hand entwined in his hair, knowing that he needed the comfort and a few minutes to calm down again.

After a while of holding each other they sat up, Elena placed on his lap, and stared out at the dark and violent sea.

"God, you're freezing."

He put his arms around her from behind, trying to shield her from the cold wind.

She nodded.

"But I don't want to move."

"I'll get us a blanket." He pressed his lips against her neck.

"I'll be right back. Don't run away," he added.

"I won't." She smiled at him and he smiled back, tousling her hair.

A few minutes later, he came back with a blanket and two cups of tea.

Elena climbed onto his lap, the blanket wrapped around them, and clasped his face in her hands.

"I'll tell him on the day of our return." She pressed her forehead to his, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Damon looked at her with wide open eyes, desperately waiting to hear her say the words he'd wanted to hear for so long.

"I'll tell Jamie I want to break off the engagement."

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you like how things turned out?

I think this moment is a good one to go on a little hiatus. I need to get a few things done in real life ...

The story also turned out to be slightly different than I had originally planned and some of the things I wanted to write just won't work anymore.  
So I need a bit of time to think about where I would like to take it. If you have any suggestions or wishes, tell me in a PM or in a review!

I will definitely finish this story, promise!


	14. Another Day in Paradise

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Sorry about the long wait! I hope some of you are still interested in the story ...

I have to give a huge shout out to the wonderful Kim (kimbuhlay) who's the best beta anyone could ever wish for. Thanks so much for your amazing beta work and for helping me figure out the plot ... I couldn't have done it without your ideas and comments!

Her stories are amazing - if you haven't read 'All I'll Ever Be', you're missing out!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 14: Another Day in Paradise

* * *

Damon woke up to the sound of chirping birds and the soothing noise of the ever-coming waves of the ocean. He looked around, smiling when he saw where exactly they'd fallen asleep. They'd both felt so comfortable tangled up in their blanket in the little bay behind the rocks that neither of them had wanted to get up last night. Eventually, exhaustion had hit them and they had drifted into the land of dreams.

It was still dark, but judging by the birds' rising activity dawn would soon be breaking. He looked down at Elena who was lying cuddled up in his lap, one leg stretched out on the soft sand. Her smooth, olive skin shone in the pale light of dawn and he thought she'd never looked more beautiful than in this very moment.

Not wanting her to get cold, he gently wrapped the blanket around her and picked her up to carry her to their apartment. She made a cute sound of protest in her sleep, but immediately quietened when he pressed her against his chest in comfort and lowered his head to kiss her on the temple.

At the end of the beach the sky brightened as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Looking out at the sea in awe, Damon stumbled over a small rock and had trouble keeping his balance. He silently cursed when he saw Elena's eyes flying open in panic.

He whispered a quiet apology and let her down to stand on her own. She sleepily traced his cheek with her fingertips, leaning against him for support.

"I just had the most amazing dream," Elena mumbled, smiling at the memory.

"What was it about?"

Damon's soft voice cut through her thoughts and a slight smirk grew on her face, replacing the tired expression that she had been wearing before. Looking out at the sunrise, she denied herself the desire to tell him right now. There was something else she wanted to do, something she'd always dreamed about doing, but never had the opportunity to. Until now.

"I'll tell you later."

"Alright." He tilted his head to the side, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Ready to go back to the apartment?"

Elena shook her head and took him by the hand, leading him to the empty dance floor in front of the bar they'd left a few hours ago. The bar was closed and even the night owls were apparently already lying in their beds. The disco lights were switched off and there was no music playing, but it didn't matter to Elena. This was how she'd imagined the evening to end and she was taking the opportunity to make it happen.

She stepped onto the dance floor and brought his body close to hers, wrapping her arms around his neck. They started to sway in a slow rhythm that matched the sound of the waves down at the beach. After a while, the first rays of dawn hit their faces, warming their skin. Elena leaned her head against him, smiling against his chest, and closed her eyes to enjoy this wonderful moment of inner peace.

The feeling of Damon plying her shoulder with soft, open-mouthed kisses made her open her eyes again. She brought his lips to hers, capturing his mouth in a deliciously slow, intense kiss.

"I'm ready now," she whispered when she broke away.

Damon shot her a genuine smile and lifted her up, resuming his plans to carry her over to their apartment. He gave her a quick peck and sat her down onto the bed.

"So, what was your dream about?" he asked quietly.

She leaned in, pulled his shirt above his head and threw him back onto the bed. Straddling his lap, she climbed on top of him and grinned.

"I'd rather show you."

Damon didn't feel the need to object.

* * *

Elena woke up to the loud noises coming from the window. Opening her eyes, she saw Damon lying next to her, wonderfully naked on their king-sized bed. Having lived with her fiancé, she had thought she knew the feeling of waking up next to the person she loved, but she'd never experienced the feeling that settled in her stomach when she looked at the sleeping version of Damon now.

Never in her life had she been so happy to be with someone. Last night had been the greatest night she could remember. She had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. But it wasn't and it changed everything. Damon loved her; he'd said it several times last night and she'd seen it in his eyes that it was true. She'd felt it in his embraces, in his kisses, in the way he had been making love to her.

Never before had she seen Damon like he had been with her last night. Only now did she realize that he had withdrawn something before, that he had tried to shield his emotions when they'd been intimate. Not that it ever had been just sex between them; it had always been making love, but still, this time it had felt different. It had been more - a promise that they belonged together, a promise that they loved each other.

She softly caressed his beautiful face with her fingertips. Damon was still asleep, wearing a relaxed and contented expression. She looked around in their apartment and grinned when she saw their clothes lying scattered around on the floor. Her thoughts flashed back to last night. Damon running off into the darkness. Declaring his love for her in the heat of the moment. Making love to her on the beach. Their dance at sunrise. Damon carrying her to their apartment. Damon making love to her again, and again...

The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She quickly rolled over and answered the phone without bothering to look who'd called her.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey, love," Jamie replied.

The voice of her fiancé brought an abrupt end to her daydreaming. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Did I wake you up?" he added and she could almost hear him smiling through the phone.

When he didn't have to work his night shifts, he was quite an early riser and she was... well, not. He was constantly mocking her about it.

"No, I was awake, believe it or not. I'm still in bed, though._"_

She bit her lip. She was still sleepy and so was her brain-to-mouth filter. She just knew he would imagine the situation, her and Damon lying tangled up on the bed. Not that he didn't know it anyway, but she didn't want to hurt him any more than she already had, and soon would have to even more.

"Okay. Just wanted to ask how you're doing. And when you'll be coming back exactly. I miss you."

"I'm fine. We'll be flying home on Saturday morning, so I'll be home in the evening. Damon's dropping me off."

Jamie kept asking her questions about the vacation and for a moment she was able to forget about the big lump in her throat. She told him about the time they'd gone snorkelling and raved about the perfect white beach and the palm trees. Jamie seemed to be interested and genuinely happy that she was having a good time.

When he reminded her that he loved her and that he was looking forward to seeing her again, the lump returned twice the size of before. She quickly said her goodbyes and lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling, trying to think about how she could tell him without breaking his heart further. It wasn't possible; she knew that. There was no good way to break off an engagement, but she was determined to tell him when she got back.

She sat up and disappeared into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She put on shorts and one of Damon's shirts and left their apartment, giving her sleeping Greek god one last look of affection.

Even in the mornings it was incredibly warm here. She walked to the breakfast bar, passing the already crowded swimming pool and the botanical garden. When she returned to their apartment, Damon was still lying in the same position she'd left him in, his hands searching for her absent body.

He opened his eyes with a heavy sigh, glancing around and moaning sleepily. "Thank God, I thought you'd left."

He closed his eyes and rolled around on the bed, stretching his arms and legs to both sides. The sheets did a bad job at hiding that certain parts of his body weren't asleep at all.

"I hope you were thinking about me," Elena teased, opening the balcony door and slipping outside.

She placed the things she'd got at the breakfast bar on the table and stared out at the sea, her fingers clutching the railing.

Damon padded outside, wearing only his pyjama shorts, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Just recalling last night's events," he whispered defensively.

Elena had to smile. Just like she'd done a few minutes ago.

"Good morning, darling," he whispered, softly biting her ear.

"Did you get us breakfast?" He turned his head to look at all the enticing things on the table. "You're incredible."

Elena turned around in his embrace and let her mouth glide over his jaw to his shirtless chest.

"I know."

Damon offered her a lopsided smile and they sat down at the table.

"Man, I'm famished. You really wore me out last night."

He took a sip of his coffee and bit in one of the croissants. He watched her chop some fruit and mix it with yoghurt before she ate them deliciously slowly. When she put one of the strawberries into her mouth, she noticed him staring at her.

"What?"

"I'm so in love with you."

She took in a breath in surprise before she blushed like a sunburnt tomato. She still wasn't used to him saying he was in love with her; she'd probably never get used to it. She looked up shyly from her plate, meeting his eyes before she looked down again.

"Look at me."

She inhaled quickly before she met his gaze for a second time.

"I love you." Now that he had said it once, he couldn't say it often enough.

After months of believing his feelings for her were unrequited and living in the constant fear of losing her, last night's events had been a turning point for him. He wasn't afraid anymore. She'd told him she loved him and that she would break off the engagement. It would turn out alright. They'd be together. And he would never let her go.

She gave him her most genuine smile and leaned forward, letting her fingers glide through his sexy, tousled hair.

"Who were you talking to earlier?" he asked.

"Just Jamie."

Just Jamie? He didn't think the use of the word 'just' was justified in this sentence. Just my brother, alright. Just my grandma. But just my fiancé-soon-to-be-exfiancé somehow didn't seem right.

"Oh. Did you tell him?"

"I didn't want to tell him over the phone."

Damon nodded understandingly. "Do you want me to come with you when you tell him?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Damon."

The thought of having both of them in the same room when she told Jamie made her feel uncomfortable, to say the least. And it wouldn't be fair to Jamie, it was too personal for anyone but the two of them to be present.

"I'd rather not."

She caught a glimpse of a displeased expression on his face before it changed back into the emotionless pokerface he'd put on since the first mention of her fiancé's name.

"Alright. It's your decision."

"Damon, don't be like that."

She cupped his cheek with her hand, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I will tell him. But I want to do it alone if that's okay."

"Sure. The important thing is that you tell him."

"I will."

"It just doesn't feel like you're mine until you've talked to him. Even if you're not wearing your ring anymore."

"I am yours." She took his hand in hers and kissed the back of it. "I love you."

She rummaged in her bag, searching for something she'd seen at the breakfast bar. She lay the flyer on the table in front of him.

"Night swimming with sharks," he read out loud. "Do you want to get rid of me or something?"

She chuckled.

"No. I thought it could be fun. I feel like doing something adventurous. Something the old and scared Elena would never have done. Just, you know, as a symbol that I'm not afraid anymore. That I want to embrace life and not be scared of it. That I'm ready for this new life with you."

She waited anxiously for his reaction. "I didn't really think this through, it's just a spontaneous idea."

"Did you just compare spending your life with me to swimming with sharks? At night?" he grinned at her. "Do I seem that dangerous to you?"

"Sometimes." She had difficulty stifling a laugh. "Look, we don't have to -"

"No, if you want to do it, I'm all for it, don't get me wrong," Damon cut her off. "I've always wanted to do that. Never thought I'd be in female company, though."

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "You amaze me more and more every day."

* * *

"3-2-1-jump!"

Elena screamed, her hand squeezing Damon's arm in panic. She had closed her eyes; she would have never been able to jump with her eyes open. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, making her feel free and alive.

The wind hit her face, strands of hair blowing wildly around her, before she dived into the dark, but comfortably warm water. She came up at the same time as Damon and swam towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was about to get dark, but still bright enough for her to see him spluttering out some water, his hair slicked straight back.

Elena giggled.

"What?"

"You look like one of those handsome movie stars from the 20s."

"You approve of my wet look?"

She nodded, cupping his cheek with one hand and kissing him softly on his mouth while trying not to drown at the same time. Their bodies were pressed against each other and his skin felt amazing against hers under water. The effect his body had on hers made her wish they were at a private beach, able to enjoy themselves in more shallow water.

She looked enviously at the people who had stayed on the boat she'd just jumped from and who were laughing and enjoying the sunset while having a drink.

"Are you having second thoughts, love?" Damon's teasing interrupted her train of thought.

"I just suddenly forgot all the good reasons why we should be doing this. All I happen to remember is that sharks hunt at night."

Her fingers clawed into his back in a sudden rush of panic.

"Elena, you wanted to do this, remember? As a symbol that you're not afraid anymore. But if you're scared, we can go back to the boat. I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do."

He submerged and, a moment later, she could feel him softly scraping his teeth against her belly.

"What are you doing?" she laughed nervously when he came up again.

"Just wanted to show you that, whatever you decide, I'll be the only one attacking you tonight."

His raspy, sexy voice took away her anxiety and distracted her from all the dangerous things that she'd worried about moments before.

"I promise, you'll be safe. Do you want to get back on the boat?"

"No, I want to stay."

"Alright then. Let's swim to the others."

Putting on their diving googles and the light that was attached to them, they swam over to the guide and the other people next to him. After a quick list of instructions which didn't really teach them anything new – as if Elena would ever touch the sharks, anyway – they waited for the first shark to come by.

At least, no sharks, but a small family of dolphins came near them and surrounded them, clearly curious to what they were up to. A big smile grew on Elena's face when she dived and swam with them. They were a lot bigger than she thought they'd be and she definitely had a lot of respect, but she wasn't scared of them.

Two of the little ones came close to her, nudging her belly with their noses, and Elena squealed at the unusual feeling. It was an amazing experience, better than anything she'd ever experienced. She could hear the dolphins talking underwater; she could hear the excitement in their chirps and clicks.

Time flew by and after what seemed like only a few moments, they had to get back on the boat. After a warm shower, they sat on the deck, comfortably settled in their chairs.

Elena wasn't disappointed that they hadn't seen any sharks. On the contrary, she was secretly relieved that they hadn't met one, not that she would ever admit it.

"So, we wanted to have a dangerous meet and greet with sharks and swam with dolphins instead. I wonder if that should tell us something?" Damon smirked.

"Maybe you're not as dangerous as I thought you were."

Damon placed an arm around her shoulder, securing her in a tight embrace. She left a trail of open-mouthed kisses on his upper arm.

"Thank you for convincing me to do this. It was beautiful," Elena said.

The boat took off, bringing them back to the jetty close to their apartment.

* * *

The last three days went by in a rush and all too soon it was time to pack their things and leave their newfound paradise and face reality. Somehow, it set in sooner than they had expected.

They hadn't been able to sit side by side on the plane on their flight back, the hallway separating their seats. Elena had been feeling slightly sick since they'd left the hotel and made their way to the airport on the stuffy bus. She had always been a tiny bit afraid of flying, so the feeling was not unusual to her, but it was stronger than it had been on the outward flight. Something didn't feel quite right.

The young, attractive man sitting next to her smiled at her encouragingly when the plane took off. When they'd reached cruising height, the plane suddenly began to shake and she felt her stomach flip. She grabbed the stranger's knee in an attempt to find support and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I don't like to fly."

"Don't worry." The stranger winked at her. "You can grab my knee any time you want to."

"Yeah, not gonna happen." Damon leaned over, cupping Elena's cheek in his hand. "Are you okay? You're looking pale."

She shook her head, placing her hand on her belly.

"Excuse me, could we switch seats?" Damon said to the man sitting next to her. "My girlfriend doesn't feel so good."

Pleasant shivers ran down her spine at the mention of her as his girlfriend. She was overwhelmed with a sudden rush of affection for him, as well as pride to be considered his.

With a shrug, the man agreed and Damon sat down in the seat beside her, wrapping his arm around her in consolation. She leaned against him, closing her eyes, and she was able to forget her discomfort for a few precious moments.

After they'd landed and collected their luggage, the uneasy feeling returned, far worse than it had been before. She told Damon and he accompanied her to the bathroom, holding her hair while she leaned over the toilet bowl and emptied her stomach. After a few minutes, she felt slightly better as they walked over to his car, but an uneasy feeling had settled in her gut.

She hoped with all she had that her nausea could be attributed solely to travel sickness, and nothing else.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **

**Leave me a review if you like. I really love to hear back from all of you!**


	15. Complications

Many thanks to my beta kimbuhlay who did an amazing job of fixing this chapter. Sending you hugs, Kim!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 15: Complications

* * *

"Do you promise to call me?"

Damon lifted Elena's suitcase out of his Camaro, raising a cloud of dust when he set it aside on the sidewalk in front of her house.

He had feared this moment since he had left their bed this morning. He knew it was silly, it was just a temporary goodbye, after all. If all things worked out, they'd only be apart for a very short amount of time. He couldn't get rid of the gloomy feeling rising up in him, though. What if it didn't work out?

Elena appeared in front of him, letting her fingers glide through his tousled hair.

"Yes, I promise. Whatever you're thinking right now, stop it. It will be alright."

Since when was Elena the optimistic one of them? She was right. He trusted her. He tried to shake off the bad feeling, sweeping her up in a tight embrace, kissing her lovingly.

"You sure you don't want me to come upstairs?"

She raised her eyebrows at him in a challenge, waiting to see if he was brave enough to ask another time. After discussing the topic for the last thirty minutes, she'd finally convinced him it wouldn't be helpful to the situation if he and Jamie came face to face now. He wasn't happy to let her go on her own, especially with her feeling sick, but he'd surrendered. Eventually.

He let out a loud sigh when she broke away from him.

"Okay. Please call me as soon as possible." He leaned in to peck her on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Damon."

She grabbed her suitcase and gave him one last smile before she disappeared into the building.

* * *

She entered her apartment and was surprised when she found it in complete darkness.

It was ten past eight now. She had texted Jamie to let him know that she'd arrive around 8pm. It wasn't like him to just go out and not tell her, especially after she'd been away for two weeks. The sudden panic that he might know more than she thought gripped at her heart, shallowing her breath.

"Jamie?"

No answer. She needed to call him and ask him where he was. Putting down her suitcase, she reached for the light switch when she heard a rustling noise. Someone was here. Who would be in her apartment with the lights switched off? She didn't like the answers that came to her mind. She could feel her hair rise at the nape of her neck and along her arms as the fear took over her body.

She suddenly regretted that she hadn't accepted Damon's offer to accompany her upstairs.

"Jamie?" she asked again, the terror in her voice clearly noticeable.

Abruptly, she was blinded by a bright, white light before a well-known smell hit her nose. It was a flowery, light scent; one of her favorite fragrances, if she guessed correctly. A fragrance her best friend often wore.

"Caroline?"

She rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust them to the brightness.

"Surprise!" She heard several voices screaming excitedly. She blinked a few times before she recognized Caroline and Stefan standing in her living room.

"What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me," she gasped, pressing her palm to her heart in relief.

"We thought it might be nice to have a little surprise party. We wanted to let you know that we're very happy to have you back," Caroline replied, hugging her tightly.

Elena noticed that tears of joy were welling up in her best friend's eyes. Why was she being this emotional? It wasn't like she'd been away for six months.

"And we're not the only ones," Caroline added.

She stepped aside and Elena saw Jamie leaning against their dining table. For a moment, he looked incredibly insecure, giving her a shy smile while staying at a distance.

"Hey, love."

She didn't think she'd ever felt this uncomfortable. It broke her heart seeing him like this, knowing she had betrayed his trust in her.

Jamie snapped out of his mood, closing the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around her, leaving soft kisses on the skin of her neck.

Elena froze in her position as she took in the familiar smell and feeling of being in his embrace before she tried to lean away, fidgeting under his intense, lovestruck gaze.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Can we talk in private for a moment?"

A hint of irritation crossed Jamie's face. "Can't this wait? We cooked for you. And we have some amazing news..." He gave Caroline and Stefan a knowing look. "Well, they do," he clarified, a wide grin spreading on his face.

"Of course it can," Caroline interrupted. "I'll explode if I have to wait one more minute." She gestured to the already laid dining table.

With a silent sigh, Elena hesitantly sat down next to Jamie. Stefan brought the plates over from the kitchen, placing one of them in front of her. They'd prepared porcini and parmesan risotto, her favorite dish, and Elena felt like the guilt inside her was eating her up.

All she wanted was to talk to Jamie in private, but she couldn't bring herself to ask again. Not with a Caroline who was grinning like she was on drugs sitting next to her, desperately waiting for her reaction.

"Thanks, Stefan." Elena gave him a grateful look, taking a bite from her meal.

"So, what is it you wanted to tell me? Did you win the lottery and we'll finally be able to buy the old mansion?"

It was the only thing she'd come up with. A few years ago, they'd been contemplating buying a lovely mansion in the countryside and moving in together, all four of them. The house was big enough to give both couples their privacy, while enabling their future children to play together. Elena had loved the idea of it, but somehow, it seemed so far away from all her dreams now.

Caroline pouted, pressing her lips together. "No, unfortunately not."

"But it is wonderful news; trust me." Jamie took Elena's hand in his, placing a soft kiss on it.

Elena twitched at his sweet gesture and quickly removed her hand out of his, picking up the fork to take another bite.

"Well?" She looked at Caroline, then let her gaze wander over to Stefan.

"We're having a baby!" Caroline exclaimed, her eyes glowing with excitement.

It took Elena a second to get rid of the discomfort she felt and fully grasp what Caroline had just said. Her best friend was having a baby. She jumped up from her chair and nearly tackled them over when she tried to embrace Stefan and Caroline at the same time.

"Oh my god! Boy or girl?"

Caroline chuckled. "We don't know yet."

Of course. In her enthusiasm she'd completely forgotten that she couldn't be more than two months pregnant.

"That _is _wonderful news. I'm so happy for both of you."

Elena gave them a genuine smile. She meant it. Care and Stefan were perfect for each other, like Yin and Yang. Like the sun and the moon, night and day, like her and ... Damon. Her eyes went wide open at her thought, her cheeks burning while she tried to avoid Jamie's heavy gaze on her.

"Congratulations. That's going to be the luckiest little guy or girl in the whole world."

Caroline and Stefan would be amazing parents. She was certain of that.

"We should celebrate this. But can I borrow Jamie for one second?"

"Oh come on Elena, you'll have him the whole night. There's more we wanted to tell you. Or ask you." Caroline paused dramatically. "We want you and Jamie to be godparents."

Elena tried her best to hide the horror at Caroline's proposal. Why hadn't she talked to her in advance? Okay, so she had been away on vacation, but it's not like Caroline hadn't spoken to her at all.

Of course she wanted to become a godparent to her best friend's child, she'd always wished for that. But how could she and Jamie both be godparents when she intended to break up with him? She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. All she knew was that she couldn't let her best friend down.

* * *

Meanwhile, Damon was sitting on his couch waiting for his cell phone to make a sound. Just one damn sound. One message from her that would change his life forever.

Elena had promised to call him right after she had spoken to Jamie, but he hadn't heard anything yet. Either she hadn't talked to him yet or she had forgotten to tell him, but the latter seemed unlikely.

He was getting increasingly nervous about this and the bad feeling from earlier settled in his stomach. She'd seemed determined to break off the engagement, but maybe she felt differently about it now she'd arrived home? He had the strong urge to give her a call, but he didn't want to interrupt them if she was still talking to Jamie.

He jumped up from the couch when his doorbell buzzed. Maybe something had been wrong with her phone and she had come to tell him in person?

Damon rushed to open the door and saw someone he hadn't seen for a very long time. For a moment, he was frozen in place, staring at his ex-fiancée before he shook his head incredulously and closed the door.

The bell buzzed again. He was going to ignore it, he thought, combing his fingers through his hair in distress. The bell rang another time, quickly followed by another buzz. Short pause, then another three buzzes.

After a few moments he opened the door again, standing in the doorway with his hand on the latch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Did you recognize the rhythm? I tried to buzz our song," she grinned at him.

She still looked like she had when they'd broken up. Her curly, brown hair falling over her shoulders down to her waist, the skinny jeans perfectly accenting her curves, her heels making her seem taller than she really was.

"What are you doing here, Katherine?"

"Nothing. I was in the neighborhood; thought I'd drop by."

She lifted her head trying to get a glimpse of his apartment. "Can I come in?"

She didn't wait for his answer and pushed past him to get inside, leaving him standing frozen at the door.

"Nice apartment."

"Thank you," he said sarcastically, following her inside.

He closed the door with a loud sigh. This was going to be interesting.

"A bit small, though."

"It's big enough for me."

"You could afford something bigger."

"I'm happy as it is."

"I'm glad to hear it."

He rolled his eyes at her. This kind of banter had always been their form of communication, and apparently, even three years of non-contact didn't change a thing about it.

"I was wondering about that," Katherine added.

"About what, exactly?"

He let out an exaggerated breath. Both of them could perfectly hear that he was faking interest. He sat down on the couch, which was invitation enough for Katherine to sit down as well.

"About how you're doing. I was worried about you."

"Right." Damon laughed out bitterly. "So what do you _really_ want?"

"I don't know, Damon. I just wanted to see you."

"It's been three years," he stated the obvious, clenching his jaw.

"I know that. Look, you probably think I'm crazy for coming here -"

"That's your first coherent sentence so far," he cut her off.

She gave him a pointed look. "But I wanted to explain a few things to you. I think you deserve to know them."

"I don't care, Katherine. Not anymore."

Two years ago, his reaction would have probably been a different one. He had been wondering for so long why she'd betrayed him, what he'd done wrong. Now all he felt was indifference. It didn't matter anymore. He'd found the real love he'd always wanted.

"I figured as much. Just listen to me; you don't need to say anything. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you before; I just needed the time to reflect on some things, I guess."

"Apparently."

"I don't have to tell you. I just thought, I don't know... it feels like unfinished business and I would like to get rid of that feeling."

Damon looked up at her in surprise. She seemed honest and even a bit vulnerable. Was this the same person who had coldly ripped out his heart three years ago? The Katherine he knew had never been honest, let alone vulnerable.

"Who are you and what have you done to the real Katherine?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "You get wiser with age. Isn't that what they say?"

Damon let out a snort in response.

"Okay, you'll get ten minutes. Do you want anything to drink?"

After he'd quickly checked his cell – still no messages or missed calls – he got up and walked over to the kitchen.

"Glass of red wine, thank you."

Katherine gave him a grateful smile before a slight smirk grew upon her lips. "Why are you constantly looking at your cell?"

He turned around. "I'm waiting for something. It's important."

"New girlfriend?"

"It's none of your business."

He went into the kitchen and shook his head at himself, unsure if it was because he'd just offered his hated ex-fiancée a drink or because his new 'girlfriend' had turned him, once again, into an emotional mess.

* * *

Elena was shifting nervously in her barstool. They'd insisted on going to a bar to celebrate and she hadn't objected because she wanted to be there for her best friend, but she still felt sick and was starting to get really tired. Caroline had ordered them virgin mojitos and she sipped at her drink, faking an enthusiastic expression, not wanting to ruin her friend's night. She was truly happy for them, but she felt exhausted.

When Elena excused herself to go to the bathroom, Caroline jumped up from her chair to follow her.

"What's wrong with you today? You don't look too excited about this," she said when they were inside.

Elena's chest tightened at the clear disappointment in Caroline's voice. "Sorry. I am excited for you, really. I'm just not feeling well tonight."

Her hands flew to her stomach and she leaned over the sink as another wave of nausea hit her.

Caroline rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her friend's waist while softly stroking the bangs out of her face.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" she joked in an attempt to lighten the mood, but the silence that followed was deafening.

Elena's gaze was fixated on the counter, staring down at the sink, her eyes unreadable.

"Elena?" Caroline's voice changed from amused to shocked when she realized that it might not be as unlikely as she had thought.

Elena finally looked up, her eyes searching Caroline's. "No, I'm not. I'm just not feeling well tonight," she repeated in a monotonous voice. Her determination sounded like the one of a stubborn child.

She leaned down on the counter again, her head placed in her hands. Could it be true? All this time while being away she'd tried so hard not to think about the possibility that the consequences of her actions now hit her with full force. She desperately tried to remember when she'd last had her period. They'd been on vacation for two weeks... before that, she'd had her period... at some point. Damn it, she couldn't even remember anything before the vacation; it seemed so long ago. Her mind was blank as a sudden panic rushed over her, her inner monologue becoming apparent on her face.

"You could be pregnant, couldn't you?" Caroline spoke with a quiet voice, rubbing her back with soft, slow circles in comfort.

Elena lowered her shoulders, giving up the pretense and letting herself admit the possibility for the very first time. "I don't know. I have to take a test," she murmured after a while, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Hey, it's going to be alright." Care gave her a genuine smile. "You and Jamie wanted to have children, didn't you?"

She stopped smiling when Elena started to sob, sinking down to the floor next to the bathroom door.

Elena's breath accelerated as all the questions she hadn't allowed herself to think about invaded her mind. What if she really was pregnant? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to tell Jamie? Even worse, what was she supposed to tell Damon? She didn't even know what to say to Caroline and she wasn't even involved in this horrible mess.

She went pale when she realized she couldn't even provide an answer to the most important question. If she really was pregnant, who would be the father of her child? She hid her face in her hands again as the shame flooded her veins. What kind of person couldn't even tell who the father of her baby was?

"Elena, look at me."

She slowly raised her head.

"Focus on the positive parts. We might be pregnant at the same time?" Caroline said excitedly.

Elena let out a bitter, hollow laugh. At the moment, she was unable to even feel a hint of any kind of positive emotion.

"I wanted to break up with Jamie today."

Caroline stared at her in disbelief before she sat down next to her, lightly stroking her forearm.

"I'm so sorry. I should've asked... I just assumed... somehow, we all assumed..." She didn't finish her sentence. "Shit. I'm sorry, Elena."

She hugged her tightly, her hand resting on the crook of her neck.

"What do you want me to do? Do you want to go home so that you can talk to Jamie?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," she said inarticulately while wiping a tear from her face with her elbow. "No, it's alright. I'll talk to him later. Just don't mention anything yet, please."

"Of course I won't."

They sat on the dirty floor for a while, neither of them wanting to break the silence.

After a few minutes, Caroline couldn't stand it anymore.

"You sure about leaving him? For Damon? Have you thought this through? I mean, you were there when he said he didn't believe in relationships."

Elena took a deep breath. She realized she had never told Caroline just how much had changed between her and Damon within the last few weeks. She had never really updated her on their new relationship status.

Taking another breath, she started telling her. Everything. From the beginning, mentioning all her insecurities until she got to the point where they had declared their love for each other at the beach.

"Things have changed so much since that first dinner party," she concluded. "He loves me."

Caroline stared at her incredulously. "He actually said that? Wow, who would've thought?" She paused for a moment. "And you're sure he's boyfriend material?"

Elena could hear the judgmental tone in her friend's voice perfectly and she shot her an annoyed look. She felt the deep urge to defend Damon.

"Yes. He's capable of love. In fact, he's the most loving, romantic person inside. He's just been hurt a lot. So yes, I'm sure he is. I love him. I'm in love with him. And by some miracle, he loves me, too."

Caroline nodded before she addressed the elephant in the room.

"So what if you're pregnant? I don't think it's a good idea to leave Jamie when you're carrying his child."

Elena's fingers raked through her hair, before she placed her arm over her eyes. She thought about discussing the paternity issue with Caroline for a moment, but she decided against it. She needed some time to make up her own mind about it before she told anyone.

"I don't know, Care. I don't know," she said instead.

"Alright, I think we should probably head home. Tonight must have been emotionally draining for you. We can meet up tomorrow, if you want. If you need someone to talk to."

"Yes; I'd like that. Thank you." Elena slowly got up on to her feet. "I'm sorry I've ruined your evening."

Caroline pressed her against her chest, softly stroking her hair. "You haven't."

She gave Elena one last hug before they left the bathroom and took their coats from the wardrobe.

"We're going home. Elena isn't feeling too good," Caroline explained.

When they'd said their goodbyes, Caroline and Stefan went over to the parking lot, giving them a little wave, while Jamie and Elena started walking home. The bar was just a few blocks away from their apartment, after all.

"You seemed absent today. Caroline said you were feeling sick. Are you alright?" Jamie asked.

She could hear the worry in his voice.

"Yes, fine."

It was so obvious that she was lying that she couldn't help but let out an ironic laugh. "Well no, not quite."

"What's wrong?"

He took her hand in his, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. His gaze fell on her hand and he gasped audibly.

"What happened to your ring?"

She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

* * *

Damon had spent the last thirty minutes listening to Katherine. He hadn't interrupted her and just focused on trying to see her point. He could understand that the idea of marriage had frightened her. Katherine had always loved her freedom; he'd known that. He didn't think it justified doing the horizontal mambo with one of his friends, but he could see why she'd wanted to convince herself that she'd still been free to do whatever the hell she wanted to. If he had been more emotionally invested in the topic, he would have argued with her about it, but it wasn't the point. He felt better now that he'd accepted her apology.

He took another glance at his cell. Still nothing. He threw the phone into the corner of the room and it died with one last, painful sound.

Katherine raised her eyebrows. "Still an emotional idiot, I see."

He sighed. "Yeah. I guess that's true."

"Can you remember the day we went to this party and you threw a temper tantrum because you were jealous of the guy who hugged me so tightly?"

Damon laughed at Katherine's impersonation of him. He'd never thought he'd see the day his ex-fiancée would make him laugh again.

"I didn't know he was your brother," he chuckled. "And I'm not that guy anymore. I've grown up."

"I can see that." She gave his damaged cell phone an amused look.

She tried to stifle a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"No, you definitely can't."

"Please. I don't have anywhere else to stay."

"I highly doubt that."

"Don't be such an ass."

"Just get a hotel room," he replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Now where would be the fun in that?"

Taking a sip out of her wine glass, she leaned towards him, tracing his cheekbones with her fingers. "Come on. You know we were perfect together. Especially in bed." She gave him a seductive wink.

When she moved closer, trying to bring her lips to his, he jumped abruptly. He knocked over her glass of wine, and it spilt over his shirt, the dark liquid splashing in his face and soaking his hair.

"Great. Just what I needed tonight," he growled.

Putting the empty glass on the table in front of him, he walked over to the bathroom.

"I'll take a shower. Don't bother waiting for me; you're not going to stay here. Whatever you're trying to do, it's not working. I'm not interested."

He closed the door, tossed his clothes angrily on the floor and got into the shower, letting the warm water calm him down. He didn't know how to deal with all this frustration. Why hadn't Elena talked to him yet? He couldn't come up with a logical explanation.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the doorbell ring. He quickly jumped out of the shower.

Katherine got up from the couch, slowly opening the door.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her hands placed on her hips.

Elena stared at the beautiful woman in front of her and felt like she'd been punched in the gut when she recognized the person she'd only ever seen in pictures. All of a sudden, it seemed like all of her deepest fears were becoming reality.

"I'm Elena. I wanted to see Damon. His phone isn't working," she managed to get out.

"Katherine, who is it?" Damon's voice came from the bathroom.

"It's someone called Elena."

He stormed into his living room and realized too late how this would look. His hair was dripping with water, a blue towel wrapped around his hip the only thing he was wearing.

"Elena."

Elena turned around and ran down the stairs, her footsteps clattering on the concrete. By the time Damon had thrown on some clothes and followed her out into the street, she had vanished, leaving him staring left and right into the darkness and listening to the sound of cars going by.

* * *

**Not much of DE in this chapter, but I hope you liked it anyway. **

**Happy Easter! :)**


	16. Overdue Conversations

Many thanks to Kim (kimbuhlay) for taking the time to beta this chapter!

* * *

**The Weekend Deal**

Chapter 16: Overdue Conversations

* * *

Damon was furious.

How could she storm off like that, assuming the worst without even giving him the chance to explain things? A few days ago, when the situation had been reversed, he'd swallowed down his pride and let her clarify her points. And now she didn't even give him the same opportunity in return?

He'd told her he loved her. Several times. How could she believe he would hurt her like that? With Katherine, of all people? He knew about her insecurities, but how could they ever have something real if she didn't trust him?

Damon kicked the punchbag with rapid, strong blows, trying to release some of his anger. He had tried to call her repeatedly over the last two days, but of course, she hadn't picked up. Not knowing how she was doing, _what_ she was doing killed him. He didn't even know if she had talked to Jamie.

He stopped hitting his lifeless target and went to the lockers to get his water bottle. He gave his new cell phone an ambivalent look. Before he'd even realized what he was doing, he found himself dialing the number he'd memorized over the last few days.

To his surprise, she picked up at the second ring.

"Hi," she whispered. "I can't talk right now."

"Elena, where are you? You're not at home; you're not answering my calls. What's going on? I'm worried about you; you should've-"

He stopped talking when he heard Jamie's voice in the background.

"Are you with _him_?"

"Yes, but it's not what you think. We'll talk later, okay?"

Before he could object, she'd already hung up.

Damon let himself sink against the wall behind him, placing an arm over his eyes.

It seemed like there was a dark, black cloud appearing over his head whenever he was about to feel true happiness. It was almost like fate wouldn't allow him to be happy, like it just wasn't meant to be. It had happened with Katherine and now it definitely looked like history would be repeating itself with Elena.

"You okay there?"

His personal trainer suddenly appeared in front of him, leaning over his slumped body. Damon just nodded in response.

"Ready for a little action then?" he said, throwing a pair of boxing gloves into his lap.

"Not really, to be honest." He looked up and saw his trainer shooting him a disapproving look. "I'd suck anyway. As you've probably noticed, I haven't been around much over the last few months. I'm a hopeless case."

"It's all a question of motivation. It's not hopeless as long as you really want something. As long as you fight for it," he lectured him. "So get your lazy ass over there and do it!"

"Does this lame line actually work on some people?"

He smirked at the sight of his personal trainer raising his eyebrows.

"Alright, alright; I'm coming."

Putting on the gloves, he jumped into the ring with newfound motivation, joining his trainer.

After fighting him for twenty minutes, he let himself fall to the soft ground, wiping the sweat from his face with his elbow. He'd lost, of course, but he felt better now that he'd worked on his technique and released some energy.

He went into the shower and let the cold water cool down his heated body. The words of his personal trainer kept lurking in his mind. It's not hopeless as long as you really want something. He knew it was just something people said to make other people feel less miserable, but somehow it had gotten to him. He loved her so much; he couldn't give up that easily. He would never forgive himself if he gave up now. He wanted to fight for her.

Stepping out of the shower, he quickly put on his clothes as he indulged the urge to grab his car keys and drive to her place.

* * *

After a twenty minute drive, he stood in front of Jamie and Elena's apartment, ringing the bell with gritted teeth. He'd been so ecstatic given the events on the last days of their vacation that he hadn't even considered the possibility that Elena would continue sharing an apartment with her ex-fiancé. Or fiancé. He didn't know what his status was right now.

As if conjured by his thoughts, Jamie opened the door, shooting him an angry look when he recognized him. His lips were pressed together in a tight line.

"I need to talk to her," Damon got out harshly.

He was so intimidated by Jamie's less than friendly expression on his face, he hadn't even greeted him, he realized.

Jamie had crossed his arms in front of his chest, effectively blocking the way for him to get inside.

"Yeah, I don't think so. She doesn't want to see you."

Damon's gaze fell to Jamie's hand and he saw that he was still wearing his engagement ring. He felt his heart sink into his stomach. So she hadn't told him. What an idiot he was. A stupid, emotional idiot. Katherine had been perfectly right.

Jamie was about to close the door in his face, but Damon's hand on the latch stopped him.

"Was there anything else you wanted?"

"Please, get out of my way. I need to talk to her."

He had to know what was going on with her. He had to know about her relationship status, even if it meant getting his heart broken in the process.

"If you don't leave this building right now, I will forcefully remove you. Believe me, I have more than one reason to do so."

So he hadn't just imagined that Jamie's attitude towards him had changed. It wasn't just frosty; it had changed to downright hateful.

"Why is that?" Damon stepped one step closer, staring at Jamie in an open challenge.

Jamie's fist twitched when suddenly the bedroom door flew open, Elena's head peeking through the crack. She appeared behind Jamie, wearing her purple nightgown, looking pale as a ghost.

She put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Calm down. It's okay."

Stepping around him, she took a look at Damon. He couldn't exactly place the emotions behind her eyes. She seemed confused and hurt, but there was more to it.

"We can talk in the bedroom."

Damon followed her out of the room, leaving an angry Jamie behind in the hallway. As soon as they were on their own, Damon approached her with a worried expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he breathed.

He moved towards her until he was standing right in front of her, but she held up her hands to stop him from touching her.

"Yes, fine."

She faked a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

His presence seemed to make her nervous; she was biting her bottom lip, her gaze fixated on the wooden panels on the ground.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked quietly.

"What do I want to talk about? Are you kidding me? Did I just imagine having some life-altering discussions with you on our vacation?"

He was fighting to contain his temper. He didn't want to scare her, especially in her current state, whatever that meant exactly, but he didn't understand how she could ask him something like that.

"Did I just imagine you telling me you loved me?" Damon continued in a shaky tone. "That you wanted to be with me? That -" His voice broke, leaving the end of the sentence hanging in the air between them.

She looked up at him and he could see the conflict in her eyes. He didn't understand what was going on in her head right now, but it wasn't easy for her; that much was obvious.

After a while, she let out a deep sigh. "That was before."

"Before what?" he whispered as his eyes widened with fear.

"You were there, I don't need to provide you with a poetic description of your reunion with your ex-fiancée."

An agonized expression appeared on his face. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the poisonous anger that flooded his veins at her accusation.

"It's a misunderstanding. Whatever you think happened between us, it didn't." He managed not to scream, but he couldn't stop his voice from getting louder.

"So you didn't sleep with her?" she asked in a low voice.

"What?" Damon snapped appalled before he shook his head. "I can't believe you just asked me that."

She didn't say anything, waiting for him to answer her question.

"No! How can you doubt me like that, after everything? I love you!"

Elena looked up at him and met his gaze. The hurt expression on Damon's face took her by surprise. Besides the hurt, she could see the honesty on his face.

"Tell me what happened."

He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the adrenaline that was coursing through his body to be able to form clear thoughts.

"She just stood in front of my apartment. I had no clue she was coming. She said she wanted to talk to me. She explained that the thought of marrying me had frightened her, that she'd felt threatened. She apologized. We had closure. I'd never thought I'd say this, but we found closure. It was good."

The words came out fast, exploiting the chance to explain things to her.

"Unfortunately, after I had accepted her apology, she tried to make a pass at me. I rejected her and spilt some wine over my shirt. I took a shower. You know the rest of the story."

Elena let the words sink into her mind before she nodded understandingly.

"I'm sorry. I do believe you, but -"

"But it doesn't change anything. You won't break off the engagement," he stated, ignoring the ache in his stomach that had already made its way into his heart and his soul.

"No, it's not like that. I did. Just before I came to see you."

"You did?" He looked at her incredulously.

Hope filled his heart at her confession. After he'd seen Jamie wearing his engagement ring, he'd feared the worst.

"So you're not together anymore?"

"No, we're not. Jamie is just trying to help me."

She gave him a shy smile.

"Why is he still wearing his ring, then?"

She let out a sigh.

"I guess he's still convinced that we'll be able to get through this, that we just need some time… " Her voice trailed off.

"Great," Damon growled.

"What was I supposed to do? Snatch the ring from his finger? It's his choice when he wants to take it off."

Damon blinked, trying to order all the thoughts that were running through his head.

"So what exactly is he helping you with?"

Her breath accelerated as she rubbed her temples with her fingertips.

"I think you might want to sit down for this conversation. Or maybe we should just go somewhere else. I'm not comfortable discussing this here, with Jamie in the other room."

"What's going on with him, anyway? He'd have punched me in the face if you hadn't shown up."

"I don't know. He's angry about our current situation. Knowing him, I'd guess he's blaming himself for all of this, but it's easier to take it out on you. Maybe he feels like you're trying to steal me away from him. It's the only thing he has ever been truly afraid of."

"Well, terribly sorry I don't share his weird hippie sense of loving someone. Sorry I can't be as perfect as him." He rolled his eyes. "It's probably best if we just go to my place."

Elena agreed wholeheartedly. She needed to tell Damon about the new development and she didn't know how he would react to the news. It would probably be a good idea if they were uninterrupted.

After she had quickly changed into a jeans and t-shirt she grabbed her handbag, ready to leave the apartment.

"Where are you going?" Jamie snapped, jumping up from the couch and making his way over to Damon and Elena.

"I need to talk to Damon in private. We're going to his place."

"Will you be back tonight?"

"Yes. Probably."

Damon gave her a look that was hard to interpret. Confusion, disappointment, anger? Probably a mixture of all the three.

"Let's go," Damon said eventually, hoping he could get Elena away from the tension that was clearly palpable between them.

He took her hand in his and giving Jamie one last pointed look, led her outside.

* * *

**Two days earlier …**

"You seemed absent today. Caroline said you were feeling sick. Are you alright?" Jamie asked.

She could hear the worry in his voice.

"Yes, fine."

It was so obvious that she was lying that she couldn't help but let out an ironic laugh. "Well no, not quite."

"What's wrong?"

He took her hand in his, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. His gaze fell on her hand and he gasped audibly.

"What happened to your ring?"

She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I would have told you earlier, but with Caroline being here I couldn't really -"

"Did you lose it?" he cut her off. "I'm not mad if you did. It happens," he said understandingly.

Elena averted her gaze. "I didn't lose it."

A hint of confusion rushed over Jamie's face.

"So, you took it off? On purpose? I don't understand..."

She swallowed, trying to work out what she wanted to say.

"Yes, I did," she said eventually. "Look, I really need to explain a few things to you, but I need to start from the beginning … "

"Do you not love me anymore?" he interrupted her, his eyes widening in fear.

"I do love you. I've loved you since the moment I met you. I know that some part of me will always love you."

He gazed at her, perplexed. "Some part of you? What are you saying? Are you breaking up with me?"

An incredulous expression grew on his face as he kept staring at her.

"I… I don't know where to start. You have been the most important person in my life for over five years. You helped me get through some rough times and I wouldn't have made it without you. I'll be forever grateful to you and I will never be able to thank you enough for it. I've been so lucky to be with you. You're the best fiancé anyone could ever wish for. I'm so sorry for the horrible way I've treated you. You deserve someone who treats you better than me. Someone who loves you with all their heart."

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to admit. "I don't think I can be that person. I'm not in love with you anymore. I'm so sorry."

Jamie looked at her like she'd just said that the world was flat.

"I don't really know what to say. We've been seeing each other for the last five years. Relationships have their ups and downs; it's a completely normal thing. Sometimes you don't feel as much in love as in the first week, but -"

"I know that. It's not about that," she cut him off.

"It's about him, right? This is about Damon," he stated, his voice serious and earnest.

It was suddenly so clear to him that he didn't even need to ask. And judging by the guilty look she was giving him, he'd hit the mark.

"Look, I really want to be honest with you. Ever since I met him, Damon has started to grow on me. You know I've developed feelings for him, I told you that. Going on vacation together – how can I describe it - something has changed between Damon and me. We both realized that there is more than just 'feelings' between us. We realized that we love each other. I'm so sorry, Jamie, because I love you, I truly do, and I never wanted you to get hurt. But I can't be engaged to you when I'm in love with another man. It's not fair to anybody."

Jamie hid his face in both hands.

"Shit, I can't take this, Elena." Jamie's fingers moved from his face to his hair, letting them run through his tousled strands. "I've tried to be understanding about your affection for him, about your obsession with him. God, I've even allowed him to touch you so that the two of you could get it out of your systems."

His expression changed from confused into disgusted. "I never thought this would happen. I was so sure our love would be strong enough to overcome this. Guess I was wrong..."

He angrily kicked the wall next to them.

"So, go on! Say what you wanted to say; I dare you! What does this mean for us? Are you breaking up with me? Are you going to move out and move in with your new love?"

"I haven't decided on anything yet. I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Well, that's very considerate of you," Jamie said sarcastically.

"I know you're hurt right now and you've every right to be."

They had reached their apartment, and went inside. Jamie let himself fall down on the couch, hiding his face beneath his elbow. Elena sat down on the floor in front of him, placing her hands on his knees.

"Jamie -"

"Give me one second to calm down. At the moment I feel like getting in my car and yanking Damon's head off."

She nodded, staring out of the window. She could understand why his anger seemed to be directed at Damon.

After a few minutes, Jamie removed his arm and stared at her.

"I still don't really know what you want me to say. I have a million things going through my mind right now. I can't tell you how much I regret how I've handled things with you and Damon. Seems like I've driven you right into his arms, huh? I'm such an idiot."

"Jamie, don't blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it's me. And I can't tell you how sorry I am," she said apologetically.

He let out a deep sigh.

"I won't give up that easily. I love you, Elena. I don't want to lose you. I know you seem to have made your decision, but I want you to think things through again. Please... for me."

His eyes searched hers and after a beat, he leaned forward and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I... I can't. I'm sorry."

"I know you won't change your mind right now and you don't have to say anything at the moment. Just promise to think about it. I'll wait for you."

She nodded, unsure what she was supposed to say. She knew that she needed to tell him one more thing, as soon as possible. He deserved to know.

"There's something else you should know." She gathered all her courage to get out the words. "I'm late."

"You're late for wha - " Understanding dawned on him before he'd finished his sentence.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe this is happening to me… is it, I mean, would it -" he paused, his breath accelerating. "Would it be mine?"

Elena looked up at him and met his eyes. There was so much vulnerability and hurt in them, she almost couldn't take it. She'd thought about his question a lot, counting the days since her last period over and over again, trying to think about when she'd been with Jamie for the last time, but she knew she couldn't say for certain whether it would be Damon's or Jamie's child. She'd come to the horrible conclusion that if she really were pregnant, both of them could potentially be the father.

"I can't tell you for sure. I'd say it's likely, but I don't exactly know," she whispered guiltily.

Jamie shook his head again, cursing quietly about what he'd done to deserve all this bad luck. After a few seconds, he switched into work mode, his face serious.

"Have you made an appointment yet?"

"Not yet."

"I can get you one at the hospital."

"That would be great."

He nodded. "I'll call my colleague first thing in the morning, alright? I think I'll go to bed now. I need some time alone to process things."

He got up from the couch, walking over to their bedroom with hunched shoulders.

"Jamie?"

He turned around.

"I really am sorry."

He offered her a weak smile.

"I know. Thanks for at least being honest with me."

He disappeared into their bedroom, closing the door with finality.

Elena leaned against the wall for support. Now that she'd told Jamie everything, she felt empty inside. She was emotionally drained. She couldn't say if this had gone well; her intuition had left her. Remembering her promise to Damon, she took her cell out of her handbag, dialing his number. It was already after midnight. Knowing him, he'd probably gone crazy waiting for her call, but she hadn't had an opportunity to call him sooner.

To her surprise, it went straight to voice mail. He must've switched it off. Grabbing her bag, she left their apartment and got into her car. She didn't know what was going on with him, but she needed to keep her promise. She needed to tell him.

* * *

Elena had a sick feeling in her stomach when she entered the hospital two days later. Jamie had offered to accompany her, which she had gladly accepted. She didn't want to be on her own right now. Noticing her anxiety, Jamie took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly before he disappeared into the staff room to greet his colleague.

Elena sat down in the waiting room and tried to compose herself when her phone began to ring. She immediately knew it was him. She had ignored Damon for two days, but with the recent turn of events their argument kind of lost significance.

"Hi," she whispered, picking up the phone. "I can't talk right now."

"Elena, where are you? You're not at home; you're not answering my calls. What's going on? I'm worried about you; you should've-"

Jamie chose this moment to appear in the doorway again, starting to speak before she could hold up her phone to gesture that she was talking.

"Are you with _him_?" Damon's quiet voice turned from worried into broken.

"Yes, but it's not what you think. We'll talk later, okay?"

She shut her phone, effectively cutting him off. Trying to fake a smile, she looked up at Jamie.

"What did your colleague say?"

"He's clearing his schedule right now; he'll be here soon. I explained our situation; you don't have to worry about it. He knows. If you're pregnant, we could do a paternity test."

"Today?" She gaped at him incredulously.

"We had a long talk when I called him yesterday. I told him that this uncertainty was killing me, that I just wanted to know that the baby's mine as soon as possible. So he offered to do it today. Wouldn't you like to know sooner rather than later?"

Her face had gone pale, but she nodded.

"Yes, of course. So you told him everything? About Damon?"

"Well, he knows Damon, so I didn't mention his name. But I told him that there was someone else involved, yes."

She looked at him, saw him pressing his lips together in a thin line, and almost exploded from guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie. I know you wanted to be here under different circumstances."

His sad expression darkened.

"Well, it would've been a lot nicer if you hadn't broken up with me before; that's true. And I'm not exactly enthusiastic about the fact that we have to take a paternity test, but apart from those two minor things..." He looked down onto the floor. "Sorry. I don't want to sound bitter, but these couple of days have been hard for me."

He swallowed, taking her hand in his again.

"But I'm here for you, in case -" He paused for a second, raking his fingers through his shaggy hair again. "In any case, I guess."

At this moment, Jamie's colleague entered the room, greeting them with unaffected professionalism. Giving Elena's hand one last squeeze, Jamie smiled at her with fake optimism as they followed him into his office.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! :)**


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